By: Connor Wachtel

Rochester, Minn. — Offense came early and often for the visiting Mankato MoonDogs who headed east on Hwy. 14 to take on the Rochester Honkers Saturday. Behind six unanswered runs, The Dogs held on for a 6-3 win in game two of the weekend series.

Jake Thompson provided the MoonDogs first spurt of offense Saturday with a first-inning, two-run, inside the park home run. Also scoring on Thompson’s third round tripper of the summer was Dylan Phillips.

 

 

Two more runs crossed for the MoonDogs in the second on a Zach Kokoska single to right. Alex Hernandez and Michael Curialle scored on the RBI single to make it 4-0.

More insurance came around in the third when Phillips was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to make it a 5-0 game.

Kokoska logged another RBI single that scored Curialle in the sixth to make it a 6-0 game.

The Honkers scored three unanswered, with a pair in the sixth and another in the seventh, before it was all the sudden done, but it wasn’t enough and the Dogs won their fifth straight game, 6-3.

Despite being outhit, 11-9, by the Honkers, the MoonDogs were effective at forcing the Honkers to leave guys on base. In total, the Honkers ended with 12 runners stranded to the MoonDogs six. Each team was efficient in the field with an error going to each side.

 

 

MoonDogs starter, Shane Gray, earned Saturday’s win. He went six complete with two hits and two runs given up in his final inning of work. Gray struck out four and walked a pair in his fifth start of the season. Tyler Eckberg came in for the ninth and registered his second save of the summer. It was a one hit showing after a misplayed fly ball couldn’t be ruled an error and resulted in a Honkers double against. Despite that Eckberg was perfect in his sixth appearance out of the pen.

Chris Stefl had the Honkers loss as their starting arm. Stefl pitch 2.1 innings and allowed four hits for five runs (four earned) and two walks.

For tonight’s box score click HERE.

Tomorrow, the MoonDogs (8-12) are back in town to close out their three-game weekend series with the Honkers (4-12) at 1:05 p.m. at Franklin Rogers Park.

###

The Mankato MoonDogs are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Having completed its’ 26^th season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 22 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, over 230 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time All-Star and 2016 Roberto Clemente Award winner Curtis Granderson, three-time Cy Young Award winner and World Series Champion Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist (CHC) and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and World Series Champion Chris Sale (BOS). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and MLB All-Star Jordan Zimmermann (DET). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website. All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League portal. For more information, visit www.mankatomoondogs.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the MoonDogs as your favorite team.