Cord Cockrell pitched a strong 6.2 innings for the MoonDogs as the team won again at Franklin Rogers Park Friday night, improving their first half record to 11-7. Cockrell gave up ten hits but was able to pitch well with runners on throughout the night, yielding just two earned runs. He also added three strikeouts and didn’t walk a single Waterloo Bucks hitter as the MoonDogs went on to win 4-2.
Mankato reliever Tyler Mark was also excellent in relief, pitching the final 2.1 innings and not giving up a single hit or run to the Bucks as he picked up the save for the MoonDogs. It looked like it was going to be a pitcher’s duel, that is, until the bottom of the fifth when Craig Lepre led off by getting hit by a pitch. He advanced to second on a Justin Fletcher sacrifice and would score on an RBI single off the bat of Tyler Sullivan, making the game 1-0. Ridge Smith and Sullivan would score on a wild pitch and error respectively, bringing their fifth inning total to three.
Waterloo struck back in the top of the sixth however, scoring two on back to back to back hits by Luke Stratman, Kevin Kaczmarski, and AJ Puk, who took an inside pitch down the right field line, scoring two and getting the Bucks within one.
The MoonDogs’ Tyler Mark pitched impressively the rest of the way, throwing consistently in the low nineties to neutralize any Waterloo threat. Bucks starter Aaron Myers was tagged with the loss, going five innings and giving up three runs on four hits. He also walked one and struck out five.
The Mankato MoonDogs (11-7) will be back in action tomorrow night at Franklin Rogers Park when they take on the Thunder Bay Border Cats (6-12) with first pitch at 6:05pm. Fans coming to the game will get to be a part of Strikin’ Out Cancer Night, presented by Hooligans Bar and Grill and H&R Block to raise money for various fundraisers supporting the American Cancer Society.
If you can’t make the game, you can always listen to all MoonDogs games live on AM1230 The Fan Mankato with the voice of the MoonDogs Josh Horton.
The Mankato MoonDogs are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Playing its 21st season of summer collegiate baseball, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 18 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, more than 115 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (DET) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (WAS), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Allen Craig (STL) and Ben Zobrist (TB). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League YouTube channel.
