By Connor Wachtel
Bismarck, N.D. – The Mankato MoonDogs took game three of the four-game series with the Bismarck Larks on Friday in North Dakota. The final score was 4-1 as Mankato got big help from their newly named all-star, Tyler Lesley (Angelo State), who pitched a complete-game, one-run clinic.
BOX SCORE: Mankato 4, Bismarck 1
Mankato got on the board first in the third. Cuba Bess (Grand Canyon) roped a single that scored Tyler Casagrande (Arizona) to give the Dogs a 1-0 lead.
Scoring continued for the MoonDogs in the fourth with a wild pitch followed up by a sacrifice fly off Garrett Gilbert’s (Creighton) bat. Gilbert’s at bat tallied a combined two runs and gave the Dogs a 3-0 lead.
The fifth inning saw Adan Fernandez (FIU) go deep in his second straight game. His 2nd home run of the season gave Mankato a 4-0 lead after the fifth.
The Larks scored their only run in the ninth. With a guy on third they rolled into a double play that broke up the shutout.
Player Notables:
Bess led Mankato offensively on Friday with a 2-4 batting line and an RBI.
Earning the win was the Great Plains All-Star Game selection Lesley. He went the distance allowing six hits, a walk and four strikeouts. He surrendered one run in the ninth when rolling up a double play and finished with a complete-game, one-run performance.
The loss was given to Josh Gray (LSU – Alexandria) after he went six innings and surrendered four runs on six hits. Gray also walked one and struck out four.
Due up for the Dogs:
Tomorrow the Mankato MoonDogs (18-21) take on the Bismarck Larks (20-19) again for the series finale of the four-game series. Jack Schneider (Grand Canyon) will do the pitching on Saturday. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. at Bismarck Municipal Ballpark in Bismarck, N.D.
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The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. The 25-year old summer collegiate league is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 22 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, 225 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist (CHC) and Brandon Crawford (SFG), World Series Champion Chris Sale (BOS) and MLB All-Stars Jordan Zimmermann (DET) and Curtis Granderson (MIA). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website. For more information, visit www.northwoodsleague.com or download the Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the MoonDogs as your favorite team.
