Mankato, Minn – The Mankato MoonDogs, behind a strong pitching performance by Blake Schwartz (MSU-Mankato), downed the Rochester Honkers 4-1 in their season opener at Franklin Rodgers Park on Wednesday night.

Schwartz was brilliant on the evening, only allowing one run, scattering five hits while fanning nine Honkers in 6 2/3 innings of work.

The MoonDogs opened up the scoring in the bottom of the fourth inning when Zach Wasserman (Louisville) doubled in Zach Borenstein (Eastern Illinois) with a line drive to left field. Wasserman later scored on a Blair Moore (San Diego State) single to give the MoonDogs a 2-0 lead after four innings.

The Honkers only run came in the top of the seventh inning when Aaron Siefken (Bethany Lutheran College) scored on a fly ball that MoonDogs right fielder Zach Borenstien lost in the lights.

Borenstien, however, made up for that mistake in the bottom half of the seventh inning when he knocked a towering solo home run to right field to give the MoonDogs the eventual 4-1 win.

The MoonDogs will now travel to Rochester tomorrow to take on the Honkers again before returning home on Friday, June 3 to finish the teams’ three game series. Friday night’s game is Magnet Schedule Night presented by TCF Bank and The Fan Mankato. The first 1,000 fans receive a free 2011 MoonDogs magnet schedule.