Mankato, MN – The Mankato MoonDogs (15-14) offense stalled against the Thunder Bay Border Cats (13-16) for much of Wednesday night’s game at Franklin Rogers Park in Mankato, Minnesota but came alive late as they won by a score of 9-8 in dramatic walk off fashion in front of a crowd of 1,297.
Unlike a night ago, the MoonDogs offense was held dormant until the seventh inning when they were able to push a cross a pair of runs. Border Cats starter Johnny York held the MoonDogs to just three hits over the first seven innings.
The MoonDogs would score all nine runs over the final three innings- two in the seventh and eighth innings and an improbable five runs in the ninth.
Joey Rodriquez would start the bottom of the ninth off with a bang. His one out home run would start the ball rolling for the MoonDogs. With two on and two out, Craig Nennig would knock home a pair of runs tying the game. This would bring up Kyle Weston who reached on an infield hit. Kevin Hall would do the rest as he lined the one ball, no strike pitch into left field propelling the MoonDogs to victory.
Hall went 2-for-4 with two RBI’s in the game. Along with driving in the final run of the game, he also drove in the first MoonDog run. Nennig finished 2-for-4 with two RBI’s and two runs scored. Rodriquez went 1-for-4 with one RBI coming on the ninth inning homerun.
Back to back nights the MoonDogs hit ninth inning home runs but this time the MoonDogs were able to capitalize.
Four Border Cats tallied two hits in the game and combined for 14 in total as a team.
Picking up the win would be Kyle Goodbrand (1-2) and taking the loss would be Mikael Mogues (0-1).
The MoonDogs will travel to Wisconsin for series against the Lakeshore Chinooks and Kenosha Kingfish. They will be returning to The Frank Monday June 29, where they will face the St. Cloud Rox in a day-night double header. Game one starts at 1:00pm and game two is at 7:05pm. Game one is Daycare Day and Game two features a Muttnik Bobble Head giveaway to the first 500 fans presented by Mankato Ford.
“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."