By: Connor Wachtel

MANKATO, Minn. – The Mankato MoonDogs (42-21) won both games of a doubleheader, 4-3 and 6-4, over the Bismarck Larks (28-35), Monday at ISG Field. 

 

 

GAME ONE – MANKATO 4, BISMARCK 3 

While inheriting a 1-0 lead from a game that was rained out with one out in the top of the second inning back on July 5, the MoonDogs began Monday’s doubleheader with a lead until Bismarck answered to tie the game in the bottom of the second inning.  

 

In the fifth inning, Bismarck answered Mankato’s one run from the top half of the inning with two of their own. After five innings in game one at ISG Field, the MoonDogs trailed the Larks 3-2. 

 

Ninth inning heroics from MoonDogs’ infielder Evan Berkey (Evansville) guided Mankato to victory as he tripled to the alley in right to tie the game before scoring on a wild pitch which gave the MoonDogs the lead. 

 

Mankato held on to win 4-3 with Vince Reilly (Grand Canyon) working on the hill relief for his seventh save of the summer. 

 

In game one, the MoonDogs outhit the Larks 8-7 while Bismarck was responsible for the game’s only error. 

 

The Reilly brothers, Blake Reilly (Grand Canyon) and Vince Reilly (Grand Canyon), worked together to win and secure game one. Blake got the win to move to 3-1 on the hill following his relief appearance from the seventh through the eighth inning before, his twin brother, Vince secured his seventh save of the season in the ninth inning. 

 

 

GAME TWO – MANKATO 6, BISMARCK 4 

Game two saw the MoonDogs prevail again over the Larks. However, the Larks struck first with one run in the third inning. But from that point on, the MoonDogs surged to score six runs while allowing just three to upend the Larks, 6-4. 

 

After the Larks scored first in game two, the MoonDogs scored a pair of runs in the fourth before tallying four more in the fifth to take a commanding 6-1 lead. 

 

The Larks battled back in the sixth by scoring three runs, but that was all they could manage for the remainder of the evening as Mankato went on to defeat Bismarck by a final score of 6-4. 

 

Mankato took down Bismarck in the hits department again in game two, 8-5, while the Larks suffered from the game’s only errors once more, they had two in the contest. 

 

The win went to Mankato’s starting pitcher, Owen Boerema (Northwestern – St. Paul), as he moved to a 4-3 record in the 2021 campaign. Again in game two, Vince Reilly got the save for his team-high eighth of the season. 

 

 

Tuesday marks the series and season finale between the MoonDogs and Larks. The first pitch between Mankato and Bismarck is slated for 6:35 p.m. at ISG 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.