Written By: Tyler Haack
Photo By: Kenzie Schmidt
Jake Riding took the mound for the MoonDogs as they looked to make the previous night a faint memory. Riding let up a single to the lead off batter and then took down the next two batters on strike outs. Riding struggled after that giving up two more hits leading to three runs before getting the last out on his 34th pitch of the inning saving his night on the mound. The Dogs looked to make a dent in the Larks lead with a potent first three batters of the lineup. The Larks pitcher Alec Danen had other thoughts as he made quick work going three up three down.
Riding took the mound for the Dogs again in the second ready to make the previous inning a thing of the past. After letting up a walk to the first batter Kai Hori sent a ball flying towards the short stop Mason Landers who was able to flick it to third baseman Dustin Crenshaw to stop the lead runner in his tracks. Riding caught himself in trouble shortly after walking three out of four batters before a sac fly by Jackson Beaman drove in the fourth run of the game for the Larks.
The Dogs looked to get back some of the runs they had let up during the first two innings. Crenshaw started it out with a walk and a steal to put him in scoring position. Max Williams followed it up with a deep double getting the Dogs on the board.
Brady Banker took the mound for the Dogs in the third in an attempt to keep the game in reach for the Dogs. Banker put up a strong inning stranding two runners after letting one get by. Easton Fricther started the third inning with a double that caught the Larks outfield sleeping. Fricther would end up being stranded on third.
The fourth inning started like the previous three with the Larks getting on the board. This time courtesy of a home run by Beaman who tattooed the seams onto his bat as this one flew clear over the head of the Dogs outfield.
Grant Garza started the fifth inning for the Dogs giving up leadoff walk before Dillon Goetz sent one deep into the Doghouse suites continuing the Lark streak of getting a run in their half of the inning. Danen continued his dominance on the mound going three up three down.
Garza started the sixth inning for the Dogs letting up a hit to the leadoff batter before the infield executed a textbook 6-4-3 double play allowing Garza to go three up three down.
Garza stayed in the game until late in the ninth inning when he was pulled for Luke Stevens after three runs scored and the first out of the inning was called after a Larks player got overzealous on attempting to take an extra base and was caught at the cutoff point for the out field attempting to catch the lead runners on their way to the plate. The Dogs attempted to mount a comeback, but the effort was short lived with the Dogs falling to the Larks 11-2.
Join us tomorrow as the Dogs look to even the series against the Larks at ISG Field for a 6:35 P.M. start.
