By Owen Patterson
MINOT, ND – Not even three home runs could do the trick on Wednesday night as the Minot Hot Tots dropped game two of a four-game home stand to Mankato, 7-9.
Anthony Cordero was on the mound first for Minot, pitching a 1-2-3 opening frame. After another scoreless inning from Cordero, the Hot Tots were on the sticks in the second inning, using extra-base hits from Nick Alonso and Jonah Shields to take a 3-0 lead. The Mankato MoonDogs’ response was not far behind as designated hitter Jackson Waller would hit a leadoff home run in the third. Mankato tacked on another score, cutting the deficit to one run after two and a half.
Due to a pitch count limit, Mankato’s starting pitcher Tate Marland had to be taken out of the game following the second inning. Aiden McGee would be the long reliever on this occasion for Mankato and tossed back-to-back shutout innings, all the while the MoonDogs offense kept producing runs. By the time the Hot Tots came up to bat in the bottom half of the fifth, Mankato had taken a 5-3 lead.
The lead would not last long, as Trae Cassidy would hit his first home run of the season, a two-run blast to right-center field to tie the game. The MoonDogs, however, could not be stopped, scoring five consecutive innings. The big inning for Mankato was the sixth, where they would put up three.
At the seventh inning stretch, Mankato had their largest lead of the game at 9-5. In the home half of the seventh, Evan Dempsey launched his first home run. And in the following inning, Jonah Shields would clear the fence as well. Even with the late-game highlights, the two solo shots were the offense for Minot in the later innings. Mankato’s closer Grant Garza would get the save with a scoreless ninth inning.
Nick Alonso was one of many Hot Tot hitters to have success at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, one run scored and one driven in. Pitcher Anthony Cordero took home the First Command Play of the Game with two shutout frames and four strikeouts.
The Tots remain at Corbett Field for two more games on the homestand, hosting the La Crosse Loggers on Thursday and Friday night.
