ROCHESTER, Minn. – The Mankato MoonDogs fell to the Rochester Honkers, 13-8, on Friday night at Mayo Field.
Mankato struck first in the second inning on a two-run home run from Liam Ebbs (Wofford College), but Rochester answered with four runs in the bottom of the inning to take the lead.
The MoonDogs stayed within striking distance, tying the game at 6-6 in the fifth after Sam Erickson (Texas A&M University) hit a three-run homer. The Honkers responded with a seven-run bottom of the fifth and added another run in the sixth to pull away.
The MoonDogs scored once in the sixth on Preston Bonn’s (North Carolina State University) two-run home run and added their final run in the eighth, but couldn’t close the gap.
Ebbs finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs, Erickson drove in three runs with his home run, and Bonn went 3-for-5 with a home run and two RBIs. Andrew Purdy (University of Alabama) and Evan Rolbiecki (University of Hawaii) each added two hits as Mankato totaled 11 hits.
The MoonDogs will look to bounce back in the next game against the St. Cloud Rox at ISG Field on Sunday. First pitch is at 5:05 pm.
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