Written by Connor Wachtel

MANKATO, Minn. – The Mankato MoonDogs completed a two-game sweep over the Minnesota Mud Puppies with a 7-1 victory, Saturday evening at ISG Field.

 

With the win, the MoonDogs improved to 21-17 overall and got back to .500 in the second half sporting a 2-2 record after collecting their second straight win. On the losing end, the Mud Puppies fell to 6-15 and 0-4 in the second half of the season.

 

The Mud Puppies struck first in the first inning of Saturday’s contest on a sacrifice fly to right to take a 1-0 lead. After the MoonDogs left the bases loaded in the bottom half, the Mud Puppies maintained a grasp on a 1-0 lead after an inning of play. However, Minnesota’s advantage lasted no more than two innings as they failed to score again in the rest of the ballgame.

 

Simon Scherry (Evansville) tied the game in the third inning when he chopped a single to third. After three innings of action, the MoonDogs and Mud Puppies were tied, 1-1.

 

The fourth inning saw Northwoods League Great Plains All-Star Sean Ross (Indiana State) single up the middle to give the MoonDogs the lead in the form of Charles McAdoo (San Jose State) and Kai Roberts (Utah) scoring on the knock to make it 3-1.

 

 

A three-run surge in the bottom of the sixth inning provided Mankato with a 6-1 lead. It began with John Newman Jr. (Santa Barbara) doubling down the leftfield line to plate a pair of runs before he later scored on a sacrifice fly to center by Ross.

 

 

After the MoonDogs scored one last time in the seventh to make it 7-1, Cal Barna (Folsom Lake College) and Timmy Reeve (San Joaquin Delta College) teamed up in the eighth and ninth to seal the six-run victory.

 

Corey Sanchez (San Jose State) dealt out five innings of one-run baseball, Saturday night. He picked up the win to improve to 2-1 on the summer after allowing just a hit and walk with four strikeouts. In relief, Sky Wells (Cal State – Long Beach) picked up a hold after pitching a scoreless sixth before Taisei Yahiro (Grand Canyon), Barna and Reeve also contributed scoreless frames in the win.

 

The MoonDogs are back home Sunday to open a home-and-home series against the Willmar Stingers at ISG Field. Luke Young (Oklahoma State) is scheduled to deliver the first pitch for Sunday’s 5:05 p.m. tilt. It will mark his final start of the summer as a MoonDog.

 

-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’ 28^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 280 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 (NYM), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist 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 2021 All-Star, MLB Gold Glove winner and 2019 Second Team All-MLB shortstop Marcus Semien (TEX). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website. League games are viewable live at watchnwl.com. 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.