(Rochester, Minn.) – The Mankato MoonDogs picked up right where they left off as they defeated the Rochester Honkers 10-3 in the nightcap on Wednesday at Franklin Rogers Park. The MoonDogs scored a total of 29 runs in the twin bill to improve their record to 20-10. The Honkers have lost three straight and fall to 14-16.
Jaylon McLaughlin (Nevada) keeps on stringing hits together and had two more tonight to give him his fourth straight multi-hit game. Matt Hardy (UC Riverside) recorded his first multi-hit game as a Honker, he had two hits in four at-bats. Michael Michalak (Illinois) hit his team-leading third home run of the year and drew a walk.
Rochester starting pitcher Zak Devermann (Illinois) was tagged with his third loss of the year after surrendering eight runs in three innings. Just four of the runs were earned runs. Ryan Casper (Point Loma Nazarene) came in relief to work two innings and gave up two runs on two hits. Hardy got into a groove on the mound as he worked three scoreless innings while striking out five.
Jake Shepski (Xavier) gave the MoonDogs a 1-0 lead in the first as he hit a sacrifice fly to center field.
The Honkers responded in the second as Michalak homered to tie the game at one. The MoonDogs came back to take a 2-1 lead as Zac Wiley (Bellarmine) brought in a run with another sacrifice fly to center.
Mankato gave themselves a comfortable lead in the third as Kyle MacDonald (Arkansas State) lifted a two RBI double to give the MoonDogs a 4-1 lead. Shepski came around to score on the Honkers first error of the game on a groundball to short. Wiley gave the MoonDogs a 6-1 lead as he grounded into a fielder’s choice to bring home a run. Kenton Crews (Evansville) drove in two more runs for Mankato with a single.
CJ Huntley (Indiana State) extended the MoonDogs lead in the fourth with a sacrifice fly. Wiley gave the MoonDogs another run as he ripped a single to put Mankato up 10-1.
The Honkers got a run back in the fifth as Hardy drove in Taylor Adams (Oregon) with a single to put the second run on the board. McLaughlin singled in the eighth to bring home another run and push the score to 10-3.
Mankato starting pitcher Jacob Nagel (Bellarmine) was the winning pitcher in the nightcap, he tossed 5 1/3 innings giving up two runs on six hits and struck out five.
The Honkers begin a two-game series with the Waterloo Bucks on Thursday at 7:05 p.m. at Mayo Field. On Thursday, the 25th Annual Cow Milking Contest presented by the American Dairy Association will be taking place. Cole Quintanilla (Texas) is scheduled to pitch for the Honkers, Quintanilla has recorded a 0-1 record and a 4.66 ERA. Ryan Lane (Kent State) is the scheduled starter for the Bucks, he has 7.94 ERA in two appearances.
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The Rochester Honkers are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Now in its 25th anniversary season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 20 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 190 former Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist (CHC) and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (BOS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET) and Curtis Granderson (TOR). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League portal. For more information, visit www.rochesterhonkers.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Honkers as your favorite team.
