Mankato, MN – Despite an early lead, the St. Cloud Rox were surmounted by a five-run sixth inning and fell to the Mankato MoonDogs 8-5 on Tuesday night at Franklin Rogers Park. The Rox led until the bottom of the sixth, when Mankato scored five times, all with two outs in the inning to defeat the Rox. The loss was the first for St. Cloud since last Wednesday at home against Alexandria, and their first away from Joe Faber Field this season.

St. Cloud (11-4) was hot early, scoring four runs in the top of the second off of Mankato starter Jake Jenkins to take the initial lead. After a leadoff base hit by Ardeeser and a Will Craig strikeout, Mitchell Kranson reached on a throwing error by MoonDog third baseman Derek Umphres. Garrett McMullen then drove in Ardeeser, giving the Rox their first run of the game. Harrison Wenson then grounded out to third for the second out of the inning and Eric Loxtercamp singled home Kranson for the second run of the inning.

With Seth Heck batting and McMullen on third, Loxtercamp attempted a steal of second base and, after a throw down to second by the Mankato catcher, McMullen streaked home on a successful delayed double steal to give the Rox their third run. Heck then doubled in Loxtercamp on the very next pitch to make the St. Cloud lead 4-0.

Mankato (9-6) got one back in the bottom half of the inning off St. Cloud starter Tim Faix on a groundout by Craig Lepre Jr. making the score 4-1 in favor of the Rox after two. Faix threw four innings in his first start with the Rox Tuesday night, scattering six hits and striking out two to earn the no-decision. For the second time in three nights, Chris Paul came within mere feet of a grand slam, crushing a ball to deep left center in the fourth inning that ended up scoring Loxtercamp on a sacrifice fly, giving St. Cloud a 5-1 margin.

However, in the bottom of the sixth, Mankato responded in a big way off Rox reliever Will Craig. With one out, Eric Schenke reached on a double, followed up by a walk to Lepre Jr. while Logan Gray popped out to Kyle Thornell for the second out of the inning. Tyler Sullivan then walked to load the bases for Brinn Bell, who singled in a pair off Craig, cutting the St. Cloud lead to two. Levi Scott loaded the bases again with a single, and Spencer O’Neill, facing new Rox reliever Chad Hockin, singled in two himself, tying the game at five. Umphres followed that up with an RBI single, giving Mankato their first lead of the game, one they did not relinquish.

The MoonDogs added two more on a bases loaded suicide squeeze in the bottom of the eighth by Umphres to add to the lead, which proved to be the final score. Craig took the loss (0-1) for the Rox Tuesday night and Loxtercamp led the way offensively going 3-for-5 on the night while Heck tallied two doubles as the Rox finished the game with 10 total hits.

The Rox will look to split the two-game set with Mankato tomorrow night at 7:05 p.m. as Matt Rodgers will make the start for St. Cloud, and Ethan Greene will go for the MoonDogs. After that the Rox will head north to take on Thunder Bay for two games before heading home for a weekend series with Kenosha on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday will be Baseball Bat Giveaway Night at Joe Faber Field, presented by the St. Cloud Hospital Stroke Center, as the first 300 kids 14-and-under will receive a Rox 28” wood baseball bat.

For a complete box score of tonight’s game, go to http://northwoods.bbstats.pointstreak.com/boxscore.html?gameid=210251

For more coverage of the Rox visit sctimes.com