MANKATO-Minn. The Mankato MoonDogs came up short again against the Rochester Honkers on Wednesday, dropping the final game of the two game series 6-3 at Franklin Rogers Park.
The MoonDogs never got things rolling offensively as Honkers starting pitcher Michael Freeman went 5.1 innings and gave up two runs on four hits with three walks while adding six strikeouts. The MoonDogs only scoring of the night came in the bottom of the fourth when Levi Scott and Derek Umphres started the inning with back to back singles. With one out, right fielder Brinn Bell drove in two with a single to right field.
Meanwhile, the Honkers did most of their damage offensively in the top of the fifth. First baseman Blaise Lezynski got things started with a single to right field and Jack Goihl and Ryne Roper followed with back to back doubles to deep left center and right center respectively. Then Ryan Boldt reached on a base on balls and Alex Schultz singled to short left center to load the bases.
Shortstop Connor Schaefbauer then took a one and one pitch acutely down the left field line into the corner, scoring three on the play. They added another run for insurance in the sixth to end the night with six runs on thirteen hits with a pair of errors while the MoonDogs managed three runs off seven hits with an error.
Michael Freeman (1-1) got the win on the mound for Rochester while Taylor Elman took the loss for Mankato, going five innings and yielding five earned runs on eight hits with two walks and four strikeouts, dropping his record to (4-2) on the year. Alex Hackerott, Tanner Rockwell, and Dillon Williams also pitched in relief for Mankato, allowing a combined one run on five hits over four innings.
The MoonDogs will be heading back on the road for a few days where they will face Thunder Bay and Waterloo twice before heading into the All-Star break on Monday. Tomorrow’s game vs the Border Cats is scheduled to start at 6:05pm. With the loss on Wednesday, the MoonDogs drop to (8-7) in the north division second half standings, 1.5 games behind first place Eau Claire. The Rochester Honkers improve to (8-7) in the north.
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 via the Northwoods League YouTube channel.
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