By: Connor Wachtel
Mankato, Minn. — In search of their first win, Mankato returned home Thursday to close out their two-game series with the St. Cloud Rox. The MoonDogs struggled again with clutch and timely hitting as well as defensive mishaps, helping the Rox take home a 6-2 victory and series sweep.
Nick Marinconz got St. Cloud started with a leadoff single on Thursday. In the second hole, Andrew Pinter roped a double that grazed the right field foul line. From there, the Rox didn’t look back. Both Marinconz and Pintar came around to score in the inning and the Rox went on to add four more runs the rest of the night.
St. Cloud added another run in the second and third innings before the MoonDogs could respond when Zach Gilles lined a two-out double down the line in the third. Zach Kokoska capitalized in the following at bat, dropping a bloop single to center to record his first RBI with the MoonDogs. The two-out hit shrunk the deficit to 4-1 through three frames.
Defensive miscues by the Dogs provided the Rox with an insurance run in the fifth and made it a 5-1 game.
Kokoska hit an opposite field double down the right field line in the sixth to record another RBI. It scored Gilles from first and brought the Dogs within three, 5-2.
The Rox dodged danger in the seventh when the MoonDogs rallied to load the bases with one out. The Rox escaped unscathed with back-to-back strikeouts.
A triple by Rox third baseman, Kodie Kolden, scored another to make it 6-2 in the eighth.
In the ninth, the MoonDogs tried to get a rally going, but only managed a pair of baserunners. After the 6-2 defeat, the MoonDogs now stand behind an 0-6 record this season.
St. Cloud won the hit battle for the second straight night, 9-8, and totaled just a lone error to the MoonDogs three.
Rox relief pitcher Kevin Davis earned the win for his work in the fourth and fifth innings. He retired two MoonDogs while throwing up the pair of perfect frames. Blake Stelzer got the near three-inning save. Stelzer pitched the last 2.2 innings and allowed three hits, walked one and struck out two.
MoonDogs right-hander Deylen Miley had the loss on Thursday night. He went five innings surrendering five hits and two earned runs. Miley struck out seven Rox batters.
Miley delivers a pitch at The Frank. He was the starting pitcher for the MoonDogs on Thursday night. (Photo captured by Mansoor Ahmad)
For tonight’s box score click HERE.
The Waterloo Bucks (6-1) come back to Franklin Rogers Park tomorrow to begin a new home-and-home series at 6:35 p.m.
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The Mankato MoonDogs are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Having completed its’ 26th season, the Northwoods 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, over 230 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time All-Star and 2016 Roberto Clemente Award winner Curtis Granderson, three-time Cy Young Award winner and World Series Champion Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist (CHC) and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and World Series Champion Chris Sale (BOS). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and MLB All-Star Jordan Zimmermann (DET). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website. 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.