Mankato 10, Alexandria 4
Mankato leads series 1-0
Shaun Cooper (Utah) and Blake Schwartz (MSU-Mankato) continued to be team leaders for Mankato as the pair led the MoonDogs to their first postseason playoff victory in club history on Monday. The MoonDogs blew the game open with a combined five runs in the 5th and 6th innings.
Alexandria grabbed the game’s first lead with a two-run second inning that was capped off by an RBI single by Ben Magsig (Eastern Michigan). The MoonDogs cut the deficit to 2-1 in the bottom of the 2nd before grabbing a lead they would not relinquish in the 3rd when two runs scored on an error, making it a 3-2 game. RBI singles by Nick Judkins (Creighton) and Steve Nyisztor (Rutgers) made it 5-2 Mankato in the 5th. Cooper launched a two-run home run as part of a three-run 6th making it an 8-2 game. Alexandria’s Mike Theofanopolous (California) cut the deficit to 8-4 in the 7th with a two-run single but Mankato added to single runs in the 7th and 8th to finish the scoring.
Schwartz worked the first 5 2/3 innings, striking out eight and allowing two unearned runs off four hits to get the win. Cody Ferrell (Seminole State) didn’t get a hit but scored three runs for the MoonDogs. Cooper scored four times on his 3-for-4 night.
Battle Creek 10, Green Bay 3
Battle Creek leads series 1-0
The Battle Creek Bombers piled on the runs in the middles innings at Green Bay on Monday to pick up their first postseason win in franchise history. The Bombers scored at least one run each inning beginning in the 4th including consecutive two-run innings in the 5th, 6th and 7th.
The scoring started in the 1st when Jimmy Martinez (Western Michigan) hit a solo home run for Battle Creek. A run-scoring error in the bottom of the 2nd tied the game at 1-1. The Bombers began to build their lead when a sacrifice fly plated Tyler Hall (Central Michigan) in the 4th inning. Troy White (Northern Illinois) and Brett Wiley (Jefferson College) each drove in a run with a single in the 5th to make the score 4-1. Green Bay got a run back in the bottom of the 5th on a Ryan Allgrove (UC Davis) single, but that would be as close as the game would get. RBI singles by Rhett Goodmiller (Taylor) and White in the 6th expanded the Bomber lead to 6-2. Up 8-3 in the 8th, Daniel Rockett (Texas-San Antonio) salvaged a rough night offensively by hitting a solo home run. This came after he struck out his first four times to the plate.
Troy Forton (Western Michigan) earned the win with 6 strong innings for the Bombers, striking out 7. Andy Hunter (Gonzaga) took the brunt of the damage for Green Bay, allowing 11 of the 16 hits and 6 runs, 4 earned. Paul Hoenecke (UW-Milwaukee) was the bright spot offensively for the Bullfrogs going 3-for-4 with an RBI double. Bryce Redeker (Miami (OH)) joined White and Martinez with three hits for Battle Creek.
Playoff Schedule
North Division
Monday, August 15
Mankato 10, Alexandria 4
Tuesday, August 16
Mankato at Alexandria, 7:05 PM central
MAN: Tyler Niederklein (RHP, SO, Nebraska, 4-1, 2.86) vs.
ALX: Jon Reed (RHP, FR, Tennessee, 6-1, 3.35)
Wednesday, August 17
Mankato at Alexandria, 7:05 PM central (if necessary)
MAN: Sam Selman (LHP, SO, Vanderbilt, 2-4, 3.89) vs.
ALX: Matt Fyffe (RHP, JR, Eastern Kentucky, 4-4, 4.82)
South Division
Monday, August 15
Battle Creek 10, Green Bay 3
Tuesday, August 16
Green Bay at Battle Creek, 7:05 PM eastern
GB: Tim Giel (RHP, SO, Columbia, 7-3, 2.33) vs.
BC: Nick Frey (RHP, FR, Texas Christian, 4-0, 2.25)
Wednesday, August 17
Green Bay at Battle Creek, 7:05 PM eastern (if necessary)
GB: Drew Bradshaw (LHP, SO, San Jose State, 2-1, 4.47) vs.
BC: Ben Ballantine (RHP, SO, Michigan, 3-1, 2.27)
Summer Collegiate World Series
The series will be in a 1-2 format with game one played at the home park of the team with the lower winning percentage during the regular season and games two and three played at the home stadium of the team with the higher winning percentage.
Alexandria .638 (44-25)
Battle Creek .623 (43-26)
Green Bay .609 (42-27)
Mankato .600 (42-28)
Thursday, August 18
TBD
Friday, August 19
TBD
Saturday, August 20
TBD (if necessary)
