Written By: Reese Lannon
Picture By: Kenzie Schmidt
The Mankato MoonDog offense broke out of a slump on Saturday night against the Rochester
Honkers at Mayo Field, racking up 13 hits and 17 walks in a 14-5 route of the hosting Honkers.
The MoonDog offense scored in seven of the nine innings they batted, which included a 5-5
night with two walks for Kip Fougerousse (Evansville) and back-to-back-to-back home runs in
the seventh inning by Joe Hauser (Minnesota), Max Williams (Florida State), and Ty Rumsey
(Evansville).
The MoonDogs got on the board first, as in the first-inning a bases-loaded walk by Easton
Frticher (Minnesota) played a run, and that was followed by an RBI single by Hauser to make
the score 2-0. Williams then made the lead 3-0 with a bard-hit single to plate Jackson Cooke
(UT-Martin) and extend the lead to 3-0.
The MoonDogs continued to extend the lead in the fourth, as Mason Landers (Belmont) laid
down a bunt to plate a run, and then Fougerousse drilled a two-run double to the right-center
field fence in the fifth inning to make it 6-0. Rochester got on the board in the bottom of the
inning, scoring twice to make the score 6-2.
John Lundgren (Illinois) got the ball for Mankato on the mound, and the third-year MoonDog
was solid on the night, picking up the win as he went five innings, allowing two hits and two
runs while walking one and striking out four.
After no scoring in the sixth inning, the seventh inning started with a bang as Hauser
immediately smacked his first home run to left field to make the score 7-2. Williams then
crushed a no-doubt home run over the Mayo Field scoreboard in right-center field to make it 8-2.
Then, Rumsey decided to partake in the home run party, hitting a shot to right field. The
MoonDogs scored one more in the inning, making it 10-2.
Two more crossed in the eighth, as Landers would walk in a run, which was immediately
followed by Brendan Hord (Evansville) walking in a run. Rochester did get a two-run home run
in the bottom of the inning making it 12-4.
In the ninth inning, Rumsey continued his big day with an RBI single, and later in the inning
Mikey Gottschlak (MSU-Mankato) hit a SAC fly to make it a 14-4 game. Rochester would score
one in the ninth, but Zach Hoehn (Des Moines CC) would strike out the final batter to put the
game in the win column for Mankato.
With the victory, the MoonDogs improved to 3-3 on their season while Rochester fell to 4-2. The
MoonDogs will be back in action Sunday to kick off a four-game homestand against the St.
Cloud Rox. First pitch is scheduled for 5:05 p.m.