(Mankato, MN) The Mankato MoonDogs played one game with former Twins general manager Terry Ryan in attendance, and came out victorious, so it was not a unique experience to see him up in Duluth on Friday evening watching Duluth starter Aaron Barrett, but the MoonDogs were not ready to make the Huskies starter look like a minor leaguer yet. Barrett shut down the MoonDog bats early in the game, but Carlos Ramirez’s (Chandler-Gilbert) league-leading seventh home run of the year and a 2-for-3 night by Matt Prokopowicz (Hofstra) helped the MoonDogs produce four runs in the final three innings as Mankato (1-0) defeated the Huskies (0-1) by a score of 4-1.

MoonDog starter Jimmy Dale (MSU-Mankato) pitched 6 2/3 innings for the visitors allowing one run on four hits, striking out two batters and issuing only one walk. Zach Calhoon (Texas-San Antonio) entered the game in the seventh inning to record the final out and went an additional inning to pick up the win, bringing his season recor to 2-1. Erik Hamren (UC-Irvine) pitched a scoreless ninth inning record his fifth save of the season for the MoonDogs.

The top of the MoonDog lineup was productive offensively as Michael Rockett (Texas-San Antonio) and Bobby Munoz (St. Leo’s) each went 2-for-4 on the evening with a run driven in. Rockett also scored his league-leading 28th run of season.

The two teams will meet again on Saturday evening with the first pitch scheduled for 7:05pm. The MoonDogs will send Jimmy Reyes (Elon) and his 2-1 record to the mound to face Huskies starter Mike Nesseth (0-1). Reyes pitched a six-inning complete game in his last outing allowing two runs on two hits but lost in the first game of the Alexandria doublheader as Justin Jackson one-hit the MoonDogs to lead the Beetles to a 2-0 victory.