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Beetles sweep two

August 4, 2012 - Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Alexandria Beetles News Release


Alexandria, MN - Behind a walk-off single from Matt Lowenstein and the solid pitching of ace Jon Reed, the Alexandria Beetles (28-34, 15-12) swept a pair of games from the Mankato MoonDogs (39-23, 11-16) on Saturday.

Alexandria moved within 2.5 games of first-place Willmar with one game at hand and two head-to-head meetings looking on Monday and Tuesday. The Beetles are now 7-2 against the first-half champion Mankato MoonDogs with the tenth and final game of the season-series coming on Sunday at 3:05 CDT at Knute Nelson.

Game 1:

Saturday's play began with the resumption of Friday night's game halted at the start of the fifth inning by rain. The MoonDogs entered with a 5-4 lead going to the fifth but the Beetles immediately reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Against reliever Patrick Goelz, Alexandria scored a pair on two singles and two walks to take a 6-5 lead with RBIs coming from Mike Morman on a single and Josh Guerra on a sacrifice fly.

But Mankato responded to re-tie the game with a single run against Corey Fitzgerald, who pitched a tremendous four innings for the Beetles, after a pair of one-out singles and a balk.

The score remained 6-6 until the bottom of the seventh when the Beetles put the game seemingly out of reach with a five-spot as Alexandria sent 10 men to the plate. The first six Beetles beginning with Tanner Vavra who was hit on the upper arm. Ben Moore followed with an RBI double and was brought in on a Robert Case single over a drawn-in infield. After Mormon doubled Case to third, Guerra came through with a two-run triple, his second triple in as many games. Guerra himself scored on a wild pitch and the Beetles led 11-6.

The MoonDogs scored a single run off Fitzgerald in the eighth but he pitched around further damage inducing a pop-up from Cody Ferrell with runners on the corners and two-outs.

Mankato game to life in the ninth as the MoonDogs sent 10 men to the plate off relievers Nick Maiers and Anthony Bazzani. Maiers started the inning with a walk and after a fly-out, allowed three consecutive singles before Bazzani came in and walked the first two men he faced, the second forcing in a run to make the score 11-10. The next batter Alex Wise hit a game-tying sacrifice fly to left.

It didn't take long for Alexandria to go back in front as with one out, Blake Barrow doubled to left for his first Beetle hit, Dallas Hannah singled him to third on a groundball through the left side, and Matt Lowenstein ended the game as the hero with a single through a drawn-in right side for his 10th RBI of the season.

Game 2:

The Beetles jumped out early in the second game against Mankato starter Boomer Scarborough with a pair of doubles, from Lowenstein and Ryan Padilla, in the first to take an early 1-0 lead before the MoonDogs answered right back in the top of the second.

Against Reed, Audie Afenir singled to begin the inning and after a groundout and Danny Murphy single moved him to third, he came in to score on a wild pitch to knot the game.

Alexandria, held to four hits in the seven-inning ballgame, strung together a pair in the third to take the lead for good. Josh Carpenter and Lowenstein walked to lead off the inning and Vavra reached on a bunt single to load the bases. After Moore struck out, Padilla delivered with a bases clearing double, his first hit in nine at-bats with the bases loaded the summer, to give the Beetles a commanding 4-1 lead.

Though the Beetles were held hitless for the remainder of the ballgame, Reed allowed just an unearned run in the fourth and struck out five through six solid innings.

Alexandria picked the run back in the bottom of the fourth when Guerra, after reaching on a third-strike wild pitch, stole second, advanced to third on a throwing error on the catcher, and scored when the throw from the centerfielder cleared third-base and sailed into the stands making the score 5-2.

Bazzani, the winner in the first game, came on for the save in the top of the seventh and allowed a leadoff single on a bunt by Ferrell before striking out two of the next three to pick up his 14th save of the summer.

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