MANKATO-Minn. The Mankato MoonDogs were able to gain a split in their two game series with the Duluth Huskies on Friday night at Franklin Rogers Park by a final score of 7-3. After giving up a run in the top of the first, the MoonDogs capitalized on a throwing error from Huskie third baseman Brett Urabe, bringing in both Brett Synek and Levi Scott to take a 2-1 lead.
The Mankato pitching staff rebounded from last night’s struggles as starting pitcher James McMahon went 3.2 innings, giving up three earned runs on five hits including a pair of strikeouts. Jacob Westerhouse came in to pitch in the fourth and ended up going 4.1 innings of relief, allowing zero earned runs and zero hits while picking up three strikeouts. Westerhouse got the win for his efforts.
Leading 2-1 in the third, the MoonDogs found more offense when MoonDogs All-Star lead-off man Tyler Sullivan reached on an infield single and Peter Maris drove him in with a solid double to deep left center field. Sullivan eventually scored on another Duluth error.
First baseman Levi Scott, another All-Star selection for Mankato had a nice night at the plate, going two for three with a single in the first and a line drive home run over the left field wall in the fifth.
With the win, the MoonDogs improve to 6-5 in the second half, north division standings while the Duluth Huskies fall to 5-5. Mankato will be back in action tomorrow night at Franklin Rogers Park to face the Eau Claire Express with first pitch at 6:05pm. Fans can listen to the action live on AM1230 The Fan Mankato with the voice of the MoonDogs Josh Horton. Official attendance for tonight’s game was 1411.
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.
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