(Mankato, MN) Costly fielding errors and leaving too many men on base prevented the Mankato MoonDogs from stretching their season opening win streak to four games as the team fell in their first road contest 11-5 to the Madison Mallards. The team committed six errors in the field, which led to five unearned runs, and also left ten men on the base paths.

Starter Thomas Phelps (Whittier College) struggled early in the game for the MoonDogs allowing nine runs in his three innings of work. Jimmy Dale followed Phelps’s shaky effort with a solid four-inning performance, allowing two runs, neither earned, but the early nine innings was too much for Mankato to overcome.

League batting leader Wes Freie (Iowa) continued to swing a hot bat going 3-for-5 with one run scored and one batted in. Outfielders Justin Milo (Vermont) and Michael Rockett (Texas-San Antonio) also continued to swing the bat well with each hitter collecting two hits, a double, and a run batted in. Milo’s RBI pushed him into the Northwoods League with seven.

The MoonDogs will continue their road trip tonight in Madison at 7:05 with Ryan Demmin on the mound. Demmin had his first start of the season rained out against Rochester, but is ready to head back to his home state and put up a solid performance for the visiting team.