MANKATO, MINN. – The North Division leading Waterloo Bucks never went away on Friday night but as the dust settled it was the Mankato MoonDogs who were on top as they earned a thrilling 4-3 victory at Franklin Rogers Park to knot up the three-game set at a game apiece.

Clinging on to a 4-3 lead going into the top of the ninth, the MoonDogs turned to their All-Star closer Jess Amedee (UT- Arlington) to try and seal the deal.  Amedee, who started 2013 a perfect ten for ten in save attempts, ran into a bit of a rough stretch prior to the All-Star Break. 

Friday night had the feel of another rough night for Amedee at first, as he walked his first two batters and advanced the tying run to third on a put-out with only one out on the board.  But then a switch seemed to flip for the Fort Collins, Colo. right-hander, as he struck out the last two batters in convincing fashion to convert his eleventh save of the season, which ranks among the league’s best.

Mankato entered the bottom of the sixth tied at three thanks to a two-run top of the inning by the Bucks tied the game. The MoonDogs took the lead for good when a walk, a Jonathan Rodriguez (Oklahoma City) single and a RBI sacrifice fly by Josh Fuentes (Saddleback College) brought Zack Zehner (Cal Poly SLO) across home plate for the winning run.

While it was a bit of small ball that brought home the winning run, it was the long ball that put the MoonDogs ahead in the early going.  John Michael Twichell (UT- Arlington) hit his second home run in as many nights as his twelfth bomb of the year spotted Mankato a 2-0 lead in the first inning. 

After Waterloo got on the board with a run in the third, Mankato once again stretched their lead to a pair when Rodriguez delivered in the designated hitter slot with a solo home run in the fourth. Rodriguez finished the game batting two-for-four with a run and an RBI.

Jon Perrin (Oklahoma State) had himself another solid start on the mound for the MoonDogs. The right-hander lasted six innings giving up three earned runs off of eight hits while striking out eight en route to earning the win (4-2).  Perrin has now strung together three starts lasting at least past the sixth inning and each of his seven starts in 2013 have gone at least five innings, making him one of the more durable arms on the MoonDogs roster.

Donovan Feenstra (Univ. of the Cumberlands) and Paul Mittura (Purdue North Central) put a solid two innings of relief, throwing the seventh and eighth innings only giving up one hit.

The win moves Mankato (13-7) back to within three and a half of Waterloo in the Second Half standings, with the critical game three coming in Waterloo tomorrow night at 7:05 p.m.  The game precedes a road trip in Wisconsin for the MoonDogs, as they visit South Division teams Madison and Green Bay for the first time this season. 

Mankato returns to the Frank on Friday, August 2 to kick off a season-ending eight game homestand against the Thunder Bay Border Cats. Next Friday is the Baseball Card Giveaway night presented by Sports PiX and Hot 96.7.

Great seats are available to all remaining home games, on sale at the MoonDogs office located at 1221 Caledonia Street in Mankato, as well as over the phone at 507-625-7047.  To stay up to date, Like the MoonDogs on Facebook and Follow us on Twitter (@MoonDogsBall), or visit the website at www.mankatomoondogs.com.