Alex Baeza gets a victory bath after clinching the ballgame with a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the 10th inning. Photo captured by Mansoor Ahmad (Mankato MoonDogs)
By: Connor Wachtel
MANKATO, Minn. – A bases-loaded walk provided an edge that allowed the Mankato MoonDogs (13-7) to get back into the win column with a 6-5 victory in 10 innings against the Willmar Stingers (11-11), Tuesday at ISG Field.
Alex Baeza (Hawaii) watched four straight balls go by with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th to crown himself as the hero of Tuesday’s affair.
After both sides grabbed a run in the opening frame. The MoonDogs plated three runs in the second and another in the fourth to grab a 5-1 lead.
However, a late surge from the visiting Stingers saw them score four times in the top of the seventh to tie the game, 5-5.
In the tenth, the MoonDogs grabbed their seventh win in their last nine games when Matt Higgins (Bellarmine), the international tie-breaking runner, walked across the plate following Baeza’s free pass. The MoonDogs took the game by a final score of 6-5 to split the home-and-home series with the Stingers.
Higgins, who scored the game-winning run, had a big night with the bat as well for Mankato. He went 2-for-5 with a pair of doubles, an RBI and a run scored. Also with a two-hit evening, Jacob Wilson (Grand Canyon) went 2-for-4 with one double, an RBI, a walk and a run scored.
Mankato outhit Willmar 11-5 in the contest, despite having more errors by a 2-0 margin.
Earning the win was MoonDogs’ right-handed relief arm Vince Reilly (Grand Canyon). Reilly pitched the ninth and 10th inning to clinch the win. He walked one and struck out three while throwing the pair of no-hit shutout innings. Mankato’s starting pitcher on Tuesday was right-hander Ivran Romero (San Diego). Romero threw six complete innings of two-hit, one-run (zero earned) baseball. He walked one and struck out five.
MoonDogs starting pitcher Ivran Romero (right) douses Alex Baeza (left) during the postgame celebrations, Tuesday at ISG Field. Photo captured by Mansoor Ahmad (Mankato MoonDogs)
Despite not allowing an earned run, the loss went to Willmar’s Kenten Egbert who entered the game to pitch the 10th and failed to get an out. He allowed a hit and walked two, including the winning run.
Up next, the Mankato MoonDogs head east to Rochester for a doubleheader against the Honkers at Mayo Field, Wednesday. The first pitches are slated for 12:05 p.m. and 6:35 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.