MoonDogs Grab Lead in Four-Game Series Against Stingers with Win Saturday

Adam Fogel had big night with the bat for Mankato and was named the Player of the Game for his 3-for-4 evening that featured three singles, a run scored and an RBI.

Matt Higgins (Bellarmine) hit his first home run of the season in the bottom of the opening inning to give the MoonDogs a 2-0 lead early. However, the Stingers had a quick response, scoring twice in the top of the second with a pair of back-to-back RBI groundouts. The score was tied 2-2 after two innings at ISG Field.

A bases-loaded walk to Cole Andavolgyi (Golden West College) walked in one before Alex Baeza (Hawaii) hit a sacrifice fly to put the MoonDogs on top 4-2 in the third inning.

The MoonDogs extended their lead to 5-2 in the fifth before both sides scored twice in the sixth. After six frames in Mankato, the MoonDogs led 7-4.

Willmar rallied in the ninth to score one but Thomas Bruss (Augustana) stood his ground to earn his first save of the summer.

The MoonDogs won the hits battle 9-6 over the Stingers while both sides had one error in the contest.

Mankato’s winning pitcher was John Lundgren (North Alabama) after he threw the fourth and fifth inning in relief Saturday to move to 1-0 in 2021. They were a pair of shutout innings in relief which saw Lundgren allow a pair of hits, walk two and strikeout three. Nick Schmidt (Missouri State) was the MoonDogs starter and worked three complete innings in his no-decision outing. The right-hander allowed a hit and two runs, walked three and struck out one. Bruss earned the save for Mankato in the ninth. He allowed one hit, walked one and struck out one.

Dylan Matela had the loss in Saturday’s affair to fall to 0-1. Matela surrendered four runs on five hits, walked two and struck out four.

The MoonDogs and Stingers rematch for the final game of the series Sunday at ISG Field with the first pitch scheduled for 5:05 p.m.

-DOGS-

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’ 27th 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.