MANKATO, MN – A promising start for the visiting La Crosse Loggers did not hold up on Thursday night as the Mankato Moondogs bettered the Loggers by a final score of 11-7 in front of 1,389 fans at Franklin Rogers Memorial Park.
David Villar (South Florida) put the Lumbermen on top right away in the top of the first inning with a two-run homer, this team-leading seventh of the season. But Mankato quickly answered with two of their own in the bottom half off of Loggers starter Ryan Anderson (Nevada).
La Crosse would then jump out to a 5-2 lead when they plated three runs in the top of the fourth, spurred on by a two-RBI single off the bat of Korey Lee (Cal).
Mankato would chip away at that lead, scoring once in the fourth and antoher in the fifth to make it 5-4 before both offenses would erupt in the sixth. The Loggers scored two more times to take a 7-4 lead only to give up a five-spot in the bottom of the sixth to give the Moondogs a lead they would never relinquish.
La Crosse pounded out 13 hits on the night, lead by Mitchell Morimoto's three-hit night, his second consecutive one. Villar, Lee, Garrett Christman (Butler) and Luke Rasmussen (Long Beach State) would all collect two hits apiece.
The Loggers and Moondogs will conclude this current two-game set on Friday night in Mankato with a 7:05 p.m. start. Air time on the Logger Nation Station (102.7 FM) will be at 6:30 p.m.
