The La Crosse Loggers made their first trip to Mankato of the season on Thursday, and the two teams went back and forth all night. When the dust had finally settled, the MoonDogs had come out on top, 11-7.
The MoonDogs found themselves in a hole to start the game, as the Loggers put two runs on the board in the first inning, thanks to a home run by David Villar. But Jake Shepski took those runs right back in the bottom of the inning, driving in Kyle Cueller and Toby Hanson on a single and knotting the score at two.
Starting pitcher Ricky Digrugilliers kept the Loggers scoreless over the next two innings as the score remained tied. But in the fourth inning, the Loggers broke through the jam, starting with a solo home run by Jake Hirabayashi. Two more runs would come across the plate by the end of the inning, making the score 5-2 and ending Digrugilliers’ night.
The MoonDogs did their best to try and chip away at the deficit, scoring a run in both the fourth and fifth innings, on an error and a CJ Schaeffer single, respectively. But the Loggers answered with two runs of their own in the top of the sixth inning, off MoonDogs reliever Austin Bollinger.
Down 7-4 in the bottom of the sixth inning, the MoonDogs needed some runs, and they got them. After an error allowed Hanson to score, Schaeffer drove in two more with another single to tie the game at seven. Drew Fearing’s second double of the game gave the MoonDogs their first lead, and Cuellar’s RBI single capped the five-run inning for the home team, with the score now 9-7.
After MoonDogs relievers Matt Young and Joey Gerber kept the Loggers at bay, the MoonDogs added two more runs in the eighth, with the help of yet another Schaeffer single and a bases loaded walk to Hanson. With the score now 11-7, closer Naithen Dewsnap entered the game and retired the Loggers in order to end the game.
Hanson, Schaeffer, and Fearing each had three hits for the MoonDogs. Schaeffer led the attack with four RBIs, while Shepski followed with two of his own. The MoonDogs benefited from twelve walks on the night, including three to Daniel Amaral. With the win, the MoonDogs improve to 6-3 and will take on the Loggers again Friday night.
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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.
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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.