Dogs Fall to Honkers
August 9, 2023 - Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Mankato MoonDogs News Release
The Mankato MoonDogs fell behind early and were not quite able to claw their way out of the deep hole against the Rochester Honkers. The first meeting in a two-game series saw the home team fall 11-7 at ISG Field Wednesday night.
The game started out innocuously enough, with both teams' starters retiring the side in order in the top of the first inning. The second inning was a different story. The Honkers' first three batters loaded the bases without a hit against Dogs starter Derrick Smith, and then Honkers second baseman Andy Miller unloaded everybody with a grand slam to the power alley in left-center field.
Two innings later, the Honkers added to their lead with four more runs in the fourth inning, highlighted by a bases-clearing double by shortstop Brendan O'Sullivan. With two more runs in the fifth inning on a sacrifice fly and a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch, the game entered the bottom of the fifth with the MoonDogs trailing 10-0.
But to their credit, with the largest 2023 crowd at ISG Field, the Dogs put up a fight. In the bottom of the fifth inning, Asher Bradd gave the team a shot in the arm with a two-run homer to left field.
The sixth inning did not feature a home run, but the MoonDogs added three more runs via small ball, including a balk, a fielder's choice, and an error. All of a sudden it was a 10-5 Honkers lead.
Kip Fougerousse got in on the action in the seventh inning, notching a sacrifice fly to make it 10-6. But that is where things stayed until the ninth inning. The Honkers added an insurance run in their half of the inning, giving themselves an 11-6 lead, needing three outs to close the door.
The MoonDogs gave the crowd a reason to get excited, putting some runners on base, and getting a run of their own on a Fougerousse single, but there was just not enough time to complete the comeback, as the Honkers prevailed, 11-7.
The loss drops the MoonDogs to 36-29, while the Honkers improve to 32-33. The two teams will square off for the last time this season Thursday night, with the first pitch at 6:35 pm.
Northwoods League Stories from August 9, 2023
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