LA CROSSE, WISC – The Mankato MoonDogs came up just short in an 8-6 loss to the La Crosse Loggers on Thursday night at Copeland Park.
The MoonDogs got on the board in the second inning with two runs before adding another in the third. After La Crosse answered with a seven-run third inning and an additional run in the fifth, Mankato chipped away at the deficit with a late rally.
Drew McConnell (University of Evansville) led the MoonDogs offense, finishing with a two-run home run while scoring twice. Jack Mislan (Lafayette College) and Max Charles (Grand Canyon University) also went deep, with Mislan collecting two hits on the night.
Kaeden Guida (Minnesota State University) was a bright spot out of the bullpen, tossing three scoreless innings while allowing just one hit and striking out four batters. John Iacono (Biola University) added 2.1 innings of relief with two strikeouts.
The MoonDogs continued to battle until the final out, scoring three runs over the final three innings, but the early runs scored by the Loggers were too much as La Crosse held on for the 8-6 win.
Mankato will look to bounce back as the series continues against the Loggers at ISG Field Friday night; first pitch is at 6:35 pm.
###
The Northwoods League is the proven leader in developing elite college baseball players. Having completed its’ 32nd season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in history with 26 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 410 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 two-time World Series Champion Max Scherzer (TOR), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford and World Series Champion Chris Sale (ATL). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and 2019/2021 Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and 2023 World Series Champion, MLB All-Star, MLB Gold Glove and Silver Slugger winner and two-time All-MLB first team shortstop Marcus Semien (NYM).
