By: Connor Wachtel

Mankato, Minn. — The Mankato MoonDogs got back in the win column Tuesday to salvage a series split against the St. Cloud Rox with a 6-4 win.

Shane Barringer’s surreal efforts on the hill and the offense’s great deal of power at the plate got them their 10th win of the season at The Frank Tuesday. The MoonDogs starting southpaw, Barringer, was awarded Northwoods League Pitcher of the Night for the second time this season for his mastery Tuesday.

 

 

In the opening frame, Zach Kokoska’s leadoff walk eventually plated the first run on the night. Dylan Phillips drove in his 16th RBI of the season when he grounded out to score Kokoska. It gave the Dogs a 1-0 lead after the first.

Behind a three-run fourth, the MoonDogs got out to a 4-0 lead. Phillips led off the fourth with a solo home run, his fourth of the summer, to get it started. Danny Borgstrom hit third and singled to score Evan Berkey. The scoring rounded out when Kokoska singled to score Borgstrom to make it a 4-0 game.

The Rox shrunk the deficit to three, 4-1, with a sacrifice fly in the fifth.

In the seventh, Borgstrom wasn’t done being a force Tuesday night and blasted a no-doubt home run, his first of the season, to right for two more runs and a 6-1 advantage.

The Rox responded with three more runs in the top half of the eighth, but it wasn’t enough to complete the comeback and the Dogs got their seventh win in their last eight games. Ultimately, Mankato now sits 10-13 this season and fourth in the 2020 Northwoods League Minnesota/Iowa Pod.

 

 

The MoonDogs were dominant offensively, outhitting the visiting Rox, 13-7. The Rox won the dishonorable feat of having more miscues in the field, with a 2-1 advantage in errors.

Barringer, now 2-0 this season, was outstanding again in his team-high fifth start of the season. The MoonDogs southpaw pitched seven complete innings of one-run baseball. The Rox managed to get their only run and three hits against Barringer amidst their fifth-inning surge. Aside from that, Barringer walked one and struck out eight.

In the ninth, out of the pen, Andre Granillo got his first save of the summer with a pair of strikeouts.

 

 

The losing pitcher was Rox starter, Trent Schoeberl (0-2). He pitched four innings, allowed six hits, four runs, walked one and struck out three.

For tonight’s box score click HERE.

The Mankato MoonDogs (10-13) are back at home tomorrow to embark on a new home-and-home series with the Willmar Stingers (14-8). The game is scheduled for a 6:35 p.m. start at Franklin Rogers Park.

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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.