The Mankato MoonDogs faced a couple different deficits throughout the game, but managed to erase both with rallies of their own, as they topped the Rochester Honkers 6-5 on the Fourth of July.
Before the MoonDogs even had a chance to bat, they found themselves down by a score of 3-0, after Kenyon Yovan hit a three-run homer off MoonDogs starter Brett Newberg. But instead of letting the game get out of hand, the MoonDogs scored two runs of their own in the bottom of the second inning, aided in part by hits from CJ Schaeffer and Alvaro Rubalcaba.
The MoonDogs needed another run to tie the game, and that’s exactly what they got the very next inning. Ethan Valdez singled for his second hit of the game, stole second base, and was brought home on a Zac Wiley double.
The tie didn’t last long, however, as the Honkers scraped two more runs together in the fourth inning on three hits to take a 5-3 lead. But once again, the MoonDogs were able to erase their deficit fairly quickly. A Valdez ground rule double and a Schaeffer sacrifice fly tied the game, once again, in the fifth inning.
Newberg came out of the game after the sixth inning, finishing with five strikeouts and two walks, while giving up four earned runs. He would come away from this game without a decision. His relief, Cooper Powell and Naithen Dewsnap, combined to pitch three perfect innings for the MoonDogs.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, the MoonDogs were able to take the lead for good. Singles from Daniel Amaral and Kyle Cuellar, plus a walk to Toby Hanson, loaded the bases for Ethan Valdez, who was looking for his fourth hit of the game. He did not get it, but his sacrifice fly did the trick, giving the MoonDogs a 6-5 lead, that would eventually become the final score.
Seven MoonDogs had hits on the night, including Valdez’s three. The MoonDogs finish the first half of the season on a five-game winning streak, which they will look to continue right away tomorrow afternoon at 1:05 in Mankato, against the Thunder Bay Border Cats. The Honkers drop to 16-19 with the loss.
##
The Mankato MoonDogs are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The 23-year-old summer collegiate league is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 20 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 170 former Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including two-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champion Ben Zobrist (CHC) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (BOS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET), Curtis Granderson (NYM) and Lucas Duda (NYM). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League portal. For more information, visit [www.mankatomoondogs.com]or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the MoonDogs as your favorite team.
###
The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. The 23-year-old summer collegiate league is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 20 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 170 former Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including two-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (BOS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Lucas Duda (NYM) and two-time World Series Champion Ben Zobrist (CHC).
All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website. For more information, visit www.northwoodsleague.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play.