Rochester, MN—A day after the MoonDogs were able to get back in the win column, Mankato dropped two games in a double header that took place at Mayo Field in Rochester against the Honkers Thursday evening.

In game one the Rochester Honkers (7-2) got out to an early lead on the Mankato MoonDogs (3-7) with a five-run third inning  that would be enough to win this game. The MoonDogs didn’t get on the board until the top of the seventh inning, but by then it was already too late.

In that Rochester third inning, Brad Mathiowetz hit a two-run homerun for the Honkers that helped propel them to that 5 run inning. That homer would be Mathiowetz’s first of the season.

In the home half of the first, Rochester catcher Sam Hall would come up and rip a leadoff homerun to turn it into a 6-0 ballgame in favor of the Honkers.

Alex Evans would be the starter for the Honkers, going 6.0 innings while allowing no runs on just three hits with two strikeouts, earning the win.  Reggie Meyer would pitch just 3.1 innings for the MoonDogs in a losing effort, as he allowed all six Rochester runs (five earned), on eight hits along with two walks.

The lone hitting bright spot would come in the top of the seventh inning in game one, when Sulliam Rios-Reyes would hit a two-run home run deep to left-center field to help the MoonDogs start to claw their way back into the game, but it would be to late. Final score of game one would end up being 6-2, with Rochester getting their sixth win of the season.

Game two would be played 30 minutes after the conclusion of game one, but had almost the exact same outcome.

Rochester would put up five runs on six hits, while playing perfect defense in the field on their way to a 5-2 victory in game two.  Colby Green would get the win for the Honkers in game two, going 5.0 innings allowing just one run on one hit with two strikeouts.

Matt McHugh would pick up the loss for Mankato, lasting 4.0 innings, allowing four runs on four hits while issuing four walks. McHugh also had three strikeouts. The MoonDogs would only collect three hits, all without an RBI. Boomer Synek would the the lone MoonDogs in this game to collect a RBI, but went 0-1 at the plate with a walk.

Mankato will play two games at home against Waterloo Friday and Saturday at the Frank, first pitch Friday will be 7:05 PM while Saturday’s game will start at 6:05 PM. Friday will be Hot 96.7’s Mini Bat Giveaway, while Saturday’s promotion will be Country Night, where you have a chance to win to see Jason Aldean and Kenny Chesney at Target Field in July!

“The Mankato MoonDogs are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Playing its 22nd season of summer collegiate baseball in 2015, 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 120 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (WAS), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Lucas Duda (NYM) and Ben Zobrist (OAK). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League Website."