The Mankato MoonDogs took advantage of a fast start and earned a much-needed 7-2 victory over the Rochester Honkers at Franklin Rogers Park on Wednesday night.

In what was almost a carbon copy of the MoonDogs’ victory over Rochester last Friday, Mankato took an early lead off a first inning home run.  This time it was Chase Simpson (Wichita St.) who opened the scoring with a two-run cannon. Four batters later Kendall Patrick (Black Hawk College) extended the lead to three with an RBI single.

Simpson’s homer marked the third straight game the switch-hitter cleared the bases.  Through eight games he has seven hits which include four home runs, one triple, and one double. 

The MoonDogs were able to buck their recent trend of coughing up leads, as they rebounded from a Rochester run in the fourth with three more runs of their own in the bottom of the fifth.  Again it was Patrick who factored in the scoring, as he notched his second and third RBIs of the game with a double before Tim Lynch (Southern Mississippi) closed out the frames’ scoring with an RBI single. 

The teams traded runs in the final three and a half innings as the MoonDogs’ relieving corps were able to hold off any chance for a late Honkers comeback. Keelan Prince (Western Illinois) and Jess Amedee (Central Arizona) split the last three innings to finish off what Cameron Giannini (Southern Mississippi) started.  Giannini continued Mankato’s streak of strong starting pitching, throwing five innings, scattering six hits, but also recording six strikeouts.

On the Honkers’ mound, Jordan Milbrath picks up his second loss at the Frank in less than a week, tossing five innings while giving up five hits and four earned runs, striking out four.

The MoonDogs travel to Rochester to top off their two-game set at Mayo Field on Thursday, first pitch flies at 7:05 p.m.  Thursday’s game kicks off another lengthy road trip, which sees Mankato play two games in Alexandria and two in Duluth. The MoonDogs return to Mankato on June 11 to open a series against the Willmar Stingers with Bark in the Park night, presented by BENCHS with Pet Expo and The Paw Customer Appreciation Night.

Season and single game tickets are on sale at the MoonDogs office located at 1221 Caledonia Street.  For more information visit our website at mankatomoondogs.com or call the MoonDogs office at 507-625-7047.