(7/23/06) Ben Geelan drove in five runs, and six MoonDogs posted multi-hit games as part of a 16-hit attack as the MoonDogs beat the St. Cloud River Bats 8-5 Sunday night.

Geelan’s double into the left center field gap with the bases loaded in the fifth scored all three runners to seemingly break open a close game. Geelan, who entered the game with four RBI on the season, added a two-run single an inning later as the MoonDogs beat the River Bats for the fourth straight time, while pounding out 31 hits in the last two games.

Nate Hanson continued to swing a hot bat, going 3-for-4 to extend his hitting streak to seven games. In that stretch, Hanson is batting .444 (12-for-27), and has scored nine runs.

Sean Halton also contributed three hits, while Chris Henault, Robert Rodebaugh and Adam Kampsen all went 2-for-5.

With the MoonDogs leading 6-0 on the strength of Geelan’s double, the River Bats nearly rallied to tie the game with five runs in the sixth. St. Cloud sent 10 batters to the plate to cut the Mankato lead to one, with all but one of the runs coming after a throwing error by Hanson. Still, the River Bats chased starting pitcher Matt Mossey from the game, and had the go-ahead run on base when reliever Fabian Gomez got Clint Pridmore to ground out to end the inning.

The MoonDogs came right back in the bottom of the inning when Hanson was hit by a pitch, Halton singled, and both runners advanced a base on a passed ball before Geelan singled them home.

With a three-run advantage, Gomez took control, retiring the next six batters he faced before turning the game over to closer Jason Novak, who struck out the side in the ninth to earn his ninth save.