Mankato, Minn. – Cody Fick’s two-run homer was not enough for the MoonDogs, as the Alexandria Beetles posted two late insurance runs to pull away for a 5-2 victory Monday evening at Franklin Rogers Park.
It was a must-win game for the Beetles, as Nick Brown (Iowa) turned in a sparkling performance. He threw seven innings and allowed two earned runs while striking out four and walking none. Matt Miller (Michigan) pitched the ninth for his ninth save.
The MoonDogs (36-25, 13-15) got off to a sluggish start, as starter Tony Manville (Northern Illinois) labored through the first four innings. The Beetles (35-25, 15-11) got on the board in the first and would never trail. A double down the left field line by Mike O’Neill (USC) and an RBI single by Tim Roberson (FGCU) staked them to a 1-0 lead.
O’Neill finished the game 3-5 for the Beetles with a run, RBI and stolen base. Chase Porch (North Alabama) was also 2-4 with two runs.
O’Neill added an RBI single in the second and Marcus Semien (Cal) did likewise in the fourth to make it a 3-0 game. Fick (Evansville) made it interesting in the seventh, as he blasted his fifth home run, a shot that barely hooked inside the foul pole, to make it =3-2.
Alexandria pulled away with single runs in the eighth and ninth. The Beetles loaded the bases with nobody out in the eighth against Jimmy Patterson (Arizona State) and Jayson Langfels (Eastern Kentucky) lofted a sac fly to center in pinch-hitting duty to extend the lead to two.
In the ninth Sean Olenek (Mercer) reached on a wild pitch after a strikeout and three batters later, Mikel Alvarez (FGCU) single him home for the 5-2 margin.
Danny Miller (Minnesota State) had two singles to for MoonDogs, while Cody Fick added a pair of hits that included his big home run.
Manville took the loss for the MoonDogs, allowing three earned runs in four innings in his first start of the season. He fell to 2-2.
The MoonDogs fell a two games behind Rochester in the race for the best overall record in the league.
The Dogs and Beetles will meet again tomorrow at the Frank for a 7:05 tilt.
