By Connor Wachtel
Mankato, Minn. – The Mankato MoonDogs defeated the Bismarck Larks for the eighth time in nine matchups on Tuesday night. The final score was 8-3 as the Dogs took game one of the series.
BOX SCORE: Mankato 8, Bismarck 3
Scoring started off with a bang in the first for the Dogs. Josh Elvir (Angelo State) smashed his 6th home run of the season to get Mankato on the board. It was a three-run shot that came after being named to the league’s home run derby earlier in the day. The MoonDogs held a 3-0 lead after the first frame.
Bismarck waited until the fourth to respond. They scored a pair when Matt Warkentin (Xavier) singled to score one. Then another run scored to make it 3-2 after an infield putout.
The Larks tied the score in the sixth with a solo home run from Warkentin. However, in the bottom half the Dogs scored another when Elvir officially stole home to make it 4-3 Dogs. Garrett Gilbert (Creighton) made it possible with a decoy-like steal of second, following a rundown Elvir made the dash in to score the go-ahead run.
Mankato blew the game wide open in the seventh. Sean Ross (Pensacola) got the offensive party started with a blooper that scored a pair. After that, a pass ball and sacrifice fly off Tyler Casagrande’s (Arizona) bat upped the MoonDogs lead to 8-3 where it would stand.
Player Notables:
Elvir had another solid night for Mankato shortly after being named to the Northwoods League Home Run Derby in Waterloo, Iowa on July 16. He went 2-3 with a three-run home run and three runs scored and a walk to top it off.
Brett Newberg (Austin Peay) earned the win as the southpaw on the hill for the Dogs Tuesday night. He completed eight innings of work allowing three runs and 10 hits. He struck out four and walked a pair. Jaxon Passino (Kansas State) took over in the ninth and breezed through the game’s last three batters and recorded a strikeout.
For the Larks Drew Mesecher (West Texas AM) did the pitching as their starting arm. He threw 5.2 innings and surrendered four runs and four hits in the losing effort. Mesecher also walked and struck out three.
Due up for the Dogs:
Tomorrow the Mankato MoonDogs (20-23) take on the Bismarck Larks (21-21) again in game two, the series finale. First pitch from the Dogs starter, Josh Ramirez (Washburn), is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. at Franklin Rogers Park in Mankato, Minn.
###
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.
