By: Connor Wachtel
Waterloo, Iowa — The Mankato MoonDogs picked it up in the field on Tuesday night at Waterloo but lost their offensive spark. They did enough in the ninth to force extras, but ultimately fell, 5-1, after a grand slam walk-off home run.
Bucks’ first baseman, Peyton Williams, blasted the walk-off winner over the right field wall with the bases loaded. It ended the game in a 5-1 final, extending Mankato’s losing streak to three games and a 1-9 record.
It was a pitcher’s duel Tuesday night in Waterloo, Iowa. Both starters went six complete and worked into the seventh with shutout outings respectively. It took until the eighth for a run to actually go up on the board at Riverfront Stadium.
After falling to the Bucks Tuesday night the MoonDogs, now 1-5 against Waterloo, return home for a rematch to close out the series. (Image captured by Mansoor Ahmad)
A Patrick Ferguson sacrifice fly to center brought in Jalen Smith to score the Bucks’ first run, it put them up 1-0 in the eighth.
Michael Curialle grounded out to short in the top of the ninth, but it was good enough to score Dylan Phillips and even it up, 1-1. Keon Taylor held Waterloo off with the bases loaded and a chance to win it in the bottom half. After that, free baseball was played at Riverfront Stadium.
Taylor was back out for the 10th frame with a similar but fatal fate. The bases loaded up with Bucks again. But before Taylor could escape the jam a second time, Williams took him deep to right for the 5-1 walk-off win.
The box score saw the MoonDogs lose the hit battle 6-5 while prevailing in the field with only an error to the Bucks’ two.
Blake Corsentino started on the mound for the Bucks. He threw 6.1 innings of scoreless baseball in his indecisive outing. He allowed just a pair of hits, walked one and struck out five. Out of the pen, Gavin Lizik got the win for getting the Bucks out of a jam in the 10th with a 6-4-3 double play.
MoonDogs starter, Shane Gray, went 6.2 innings in his third start of the season. Allowing four hits and a walk, Gray struck out six Bucks hitters. He garnered a no decision on Tuesday night. Taylor held the loss after allowing the slam in the 10th. He pitched 1.2 innings and allowed just the lone hit but walked three.
For tonight’s box score click HERE.
After four days away from home, the Mankato MoonDogs (1-9) return to Franklin Rogers Park tomorrow to close out the two-game series against the Waterloo Bucks (8-4) 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.
