After the Larks went on the road to Minnesota, Bismarck returned to its home faithful to start a four-game set against the Mankato MoonDogs. In a game that would see 30 combined runs between the two teams, Bismarck would fall to Mankato. The final score was 17-13.

The MoonDogs were rolling early. An RBI single from catcher Brendan Hord (Evansville) made it 1-0 in the first. Then, the MoonDogs put up six in the second to make it a 7-0. 

The Larks would finally get on the board in the fourth. Connor Milton (Illinois) collected his first RBIs of the summer on a two-RBI single to make it 7-3. 

The MoonDogs and Larks would trade blows in the sixth, scoring two times each. Then, in the seventh, after a three-run inning for Mankato to make it 12-5, Luke Hammond (Xavier) hit a three-run homer for his first as a Lark to cap off a six-run bottom of the seventh and pull the Larks within one.

After Mankato put up another in the top half to make it 13-11, Sam Bieser (Illinois Springfield) hit a towing two-run homer to the deepest part of the ballpark to tie the game at 13 all. The Bieser homer would go down as the Fetzer Electric Play of the Game. 

However, the MoonDogs scored four times in the ninth, and that’s all they would need to defeat the Larks. 

Although Justin Goldstein (Middle Tennessee State) picked up the loss out of the bullpen, he threw the Metro Area Fastest Pitch of the Game. The Larks will be up bright and early tomorrow for the first of a double-header here at Bismarck Municipal Ballpark. First pitch is at 9:05 a.m. CT for the Energy Education Day Game. Bring the kids and play hooky from work for a relaxing morning at the ballpark.