By: Connor Wachtel

Willmar, Minn. — Excellent pitching was the story of the night Tuesday. It finished as a 1-0 rubber-match win for the Mankato MoonDogs who defeated the Willmar Stingers to conclude a five-game series win.

Shane Barringer (1-0) was unreal in his fourth start of the summer. He earned Northwoods League Pitcher of the Night for his work on the hill Tuesday. Barringer threw seven innings of scoreless baseball, was hit off five times, walked one and had seven strikeouts. After Tuesday’s game, Barringer now leads the team in innings pitched (21) and holds the MoonDogs second-best ERA (1.71).

 

 

Evan Berkey led the MoonDogs with the bat, in the field and especially on the basepaths at Bill Taunton Stadium Tuesday. He scored the winning run in the fourth on a Dylan Phillips RBI ground out. Berkey put himself in position to score by working his way to third by dodging a tag. After attempting to steal third, he found himself in a rundown between second and third. Reluctantly, the MoonDogs shortstop committed to swiping third and slid in around the Stingers tag and was safe. He scored on the next pitch with two outs.

Berkey got it done in the field too. In the seventh he made a nearly impossible diving grab and got the ball over to third for a force play that led the Dogs out of a jam and sustained the one-run lead.

With the 1-0 advantage, the MoonDogs relied on excellent pitching to secure their third straight win. Tyler Eckberg rode the rest of the game out, shutting the door in the ninth after relieving Barringer at the start of the eighth. He earned the two-inning save with a pair of final-frame strikeouts. Ultimately, he totaled four and allowed four hits.

The Stingers loss was handed to their starter, Tanner Brown (0-1), who pitched seven innings of one-run baseball. Brown allowed just two-hits and a run which was all the Dogs could manage to get offensively.  The southpaw struck out 11 while walking one on the night.

 

 

Willmar outhit Mankato, 9-2, in the one-run affair that gave the MoonDogs their first series win on the summer.

For tonight’s box score click HERE.

The MoonDogs (6-12) will take a two-day break before hosting the Rochester Honkers (4-8) at Franklin Rogers Park in Mankato, Minn., Friday. The game is scheduled for a 6:35 p.m. first pitch.

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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’ 26^th 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.