(Mankato, MN) The Mankato MoonDogs (12-7, 32-21) have had a hard time coming from behind to get victories this season. They have yet to win a game when they are tied after the eighth inning, but the MoonDogs turned their late inning fortune around on Sunday evening rallying to take a 4-3 lead in the top of the eighth before seeing that lead disappear with two Duluth (7-12, 19-34) runs in the bottom of the inning. In the top of the ninth the MoonDogs used six hits, two walks, and a hit batsman to push seven runs across the plate defeating the Huskies by a score of 11-5.

Brendan Lafferty (UCLA) started the game for the MoonDogs going five innings allowing three runs on six hits. Lafferty struck out two batters and walked three, but did not figure in the final decision. Kolby Wood (Michigan) came in to relieve Lafferty and pitched 2 2/3 innings allowing two runs on two hits while striking out three. He could not get out of the eighth inning without giving up the lead and Dale Dickerson (Nicholls St.) recorded the last out of the inning to become the pitcher of record after the MoonDogs erupted for seven in the ninth. Josh Castanza (Hillsborough CC) worked a scoreless ninth inning allowing one hit and striking out a batter.

Offensively, the MoonDogs pounded the ball around the park producing 11 runs on seventeen hits. Bobby Munoz (St. Leo’s) led the MoonDogs going 3-for-5 with a run scored and a run driven in. Michael Rockett (Texas-San Antonio) and Carlos Ramirez (Chandler-Gilbert CC) each had two-hit performances with two runs driven in and a run scored. The eighth spot in the batting order was also a hot bed for hits as Ryan Rummel (Texas-San Antonio) went 2-for-3 with a run scored before Tony Strazzara (San Diego) came in to pinch-hit for the third baseman in the eighth inning and went 2-for-3 as well with two runs scored. Ten different MoonDogs ended up with hits in the contest and the MoonDogs batted twelve in the ninth inning to bunch their runners together.