The four-game series between the Minot Hot Tots and Mankato MoonDogs may only be half over, but the Hot Tots have sure left a mark on ISG Field. With back-to-back wins against the MoonDogs, 12-5 on Monday and 17-9 on Tuesday, Minot has now won three in-a-row, tying a franchise-record.
Monday’s series-opener featured plenty of long balls for the Hot Tots, something that has been a rare facet of Minot’s game. Henry Allen cleared the big wall in left field for his team-leading fifth home. Matt Toomey would go yard to right field later in the game and Will Smoot’s eighth-inning home run put the icing on the cake. The Hot Tots put up 12 runs on 11 hits, getting the help of 12 walks from MoonDog pitching to bolster their run production.
On the pitching side, starter Kahler Key only lasted three innings, but the bullpen backed him up. Nolan Girard handled the fourth and fifth innings without allowing a run. Girard would earn the winning decision in the end with Evan Kleinhans getting credit for a twelve-out save.
Minot looked poised to keep the winning gears turning at the beginning of Tuesday night’s contest, loading the bases and driving in two runs in the first inning. Mankato would get their way, however, plating seven runs over four innings against Camden Dimidjian. Dimidjian would strike out four batters over his 3.1 innings pitched but handed the ball to the bullpen trailing 7-2. Relievers Braedon Davis, Austin Puett and JR Fordham would deal for the remaining 5.2 innings, allowing two runs on six hits and striking out seven.
In the fifth inning, the Hot Tots started to erupt at the plate. Three runs in the fifth followed by two in the sixth and yet another two runs in the seventh would tie the game at 9-9.
The eighth inning was by far the biggest for Minot. Using the help of six walks, a hit batter and a critical error, the Hot Tots needed just two hits of their own to score eight runs in the frame. With Mankato falling apart, Minot ran away with the game. The 17-9 lead would hold and the Hot Tots had secured their third consecutive victory.
The Tots look to continue their late-first half tear on Wednesday evening in Mankato. The final two games of the series are set to begin at 6:35 pm CT each night.
