The Mankato MoonDog bats were hot Monday night in Mankato as the team improved to a game above five hundred with a decisive 10-2 victory at Franklin Rogers Park.
Logan Gray had a strong night at the plate going 2 for 5 with a pair of home runs and MoonDogs starting pitcher Trevor Lubking pitched 5.2 innings of scoreless baseball, striking out seven to earn the win.
Mankato got on the scoreboard early in the first inning when Tyler Sullivan led off the inning with a walk and then eventually scored after a pair of wild pitches by Willmar starter Will Lydon. The MoonDogs really opened up the floodgates in the second inning when Logan Gray led off the inning with a solo home run. Tyler Sullivan followed with a big double to center, scoring Derek Umphres who reached on a single and Dalton Deleon who reached on a walk. Gray would score the final run of the inning on another Lydon wild pitch.
The MoonDogs added to their lead with one run in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings and two runs in the seventh including home runs from both Levi Scott and Logan Gray. The Stingers finally got on the scoreboard in the seventh with two runs against MoonDogs reliever Tyler Mark, but it wasn’t enough as the MoonDogs were in command of the ballgame from the bottom of the first inning.
The MoonDogs are back in action tomorrow night for the second night of their home and home series against the Willmar Stingers. First pitch is at 7:05pm. You can listen to Josh Horton call MoonDogs games all season long on AM1230 The Fan, Mankato.
The Mankato MoonDogs are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Playing its 21st season of summer collegiate baseball, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 18 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires and front office staff, more than 115 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (DET) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (WAS), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Allen Craig (STL) and Ben Zobrist (TB). All league games are viewable live and free of charge via the Northwoods League YouTube channel. For more information, visit www.mankatomoondogs.com.
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