By: Connor Wachtel

MANKATO, Minn. – The Mankato MoonDogs (9-5) grabbed their third win in a row, winning the series three games to one over the Willmar Stingers (8-6) by claiming the finale 5-4 at ISG Field, Sunday. 

 

Jack Costello (San Diego) had a big night for Mankato, going 2-4 and leading the MoonDogs with a pair of RBI. He provided the game-tying run for the Dogs in the seventh before Alex Baeza (Hawaii) gave the home team the lead in the next at bat, 5-4. 

 

The MoonDogs had the first lead after scoring twice in the bottom of the first. The Stingers answered in the top of the third and tied the game 2-2. After Mankato reclaimed the lead in the fourth, 3-2, Willmar answered in the fifth to take their first lead, 4-3. Costello and Baeza provided the edge after stretching time at ISG Field. 

 

The MoonDogs clinched the series three games to one for their third straight win once Peyton Jones (Cal State – Fullerton) came on and earned his second save of the summer in the ninth.  

 

The MoonDogs won the hits battle against Sunday, 13-7, despite having one more error, 2-1.  

 

Mankato’s winning pitcher was right-hander Dalton Mesaris (Western Kentucky). Mesaris pitched the seventh and eighth to work his way to a 2-1 record on the season. Mesaris allowed one hit, walked one and struck out two. Jones got his second save of the season Sunday with a pair of strikeouts in the ninth. 

 

The loss went to Willmar’s Logan Schmitt after he worked the seventh inning in relief and surrendered the lead. Schmitt gave up four hits for two runs to fall to 0-1 in 2021. 

 

The Mankato MoonDogs will now get set to head east on Hwy 14 to take on the Rochester Honkers, Monday at 6:35 p.m., to begin a two-game road series at Mayo Field. 

 

-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.