MoonDog Offense Explodes to Sweep Honkers
Published on June 11, 2023 under Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Mankato MoonDogs News Release
The Minnesota Mud Puppies had the highest single-game run total in the NWL entering Sunday's slate of games. That would change by the end of the day.
The Mankato MoonDogs ripped the cover off the baseball all afternoon against the Rochester Honkers at Mayo Field to put an exclamation point on a sweep of the Honkers, with the black and orange winning 20-9.
The MoonDogs scored two runs in the first inning, three in the second, two in the third, three in the fourth, two in the fifth, one in the sixth, and seven in the ninth to blow the Honkers out of the water.
Mankato scored their two in the first inning on a SAC fly by Nolan Tichy (UMass) and an RBI single from Max Williams (Florida State). In the second, a bases-loaded walk to force in a run by Nolan Tichy and then an error brought three more across, before Rochester answered making it 5-1 after two innings.
In the third, back-to-back RBI doubles would extend the lead once more, with Jackson Cooke (UT-Martin) ripping one and then followed by one by Dustin Crenshaw (Grand Canyon). An inning later, Joe Hauser (Minnesota) brought in a run on an RBI single, and then two batters later, Cooke cracked another double, scoring two more and making it 10-3 after four innings.
The MoonDogs got additional insurance in the fifth, with Tichy going the opposite way for a two-run home run to make it 12-3, before Rochester answered with a pair in the bottom of the inning. Following another RBI double by Crenshaw, Rochester broke through for a four-run sixth inning, and brought it to a 13-9 game.
The following two frames were dominated by pitching, with Brady Banker (Illinois) coming out of the bullpen to fire three scoreless frames overall, picking up the save on what was a rough night for the Mankato pitching staff.
In the ninth, the MoonDogs completely put the game to bed. They struck for seven runs including a Brendan Hord (Evansville) two-runs single, a Williams RBI double, a wild pitch plating Williams, and RBI double by Hauser, an RBI double by Mikey Gottschalk (MSU- Mankato) and an RBI single by Crenshaw. Crenshaw had an unbelievable game, going 3/3 with two doubles, three RBI, and four walks, reaching base seven times.
In the victory, the Dogs amassed a whopping nine doubles, the most hit by any NWL team this season as well as 19 hits and eight walks. Crenshaw, Hord, Williams, Gottschalk, and Cooke all collected three hits apiece. The MoonDogs are back in action tomorrow night in Willmar to take on the Stingers. For more information, visit mankatomoondogs.com.
Northwoods League Stories from June 11, 2023
- Honkers Surrender 20 Runs in Second Consecutive Defeat - Rochester Honkers
- Pit Spitters Too Much to Handle, Dock Spiders Drop 4th Straight - Fond du Lac Dock Spiders
- Hot Tots Take Second Game of the Series - Eau Claire Express
- MoonDog Offense Explodes to Sweep Honkers - Mankato MoonDogs
- Larks Use Eight-Run Inning to Even Series Against Mud Puppies - Bismarck Larks
- Wausau Avoids Sweep, Takes Down Wisconsin Rapids - Wausau Woodchucks
- Pitching Dominates in Series Sweep - Traverse City Pit Spitters
- Rox Score Four in Game Two Versus Thunder Bay - St. Cloud Rox
- Rafters Come up Empty, Split the Series with Wausau - Wisconsin Rapids Rafters
- Growlers Drop Series at Home to I-94 Rival in Battle Creek - Kalamazoo Growlers
- Rockers Defeat Kingfish to Split Two-Game Series - Green Bay Rockers
- Huskies Dominate Loggers to Take Two Game Series - Duluth Huskies
- Pitching Staff Dominant for Second-Straight Game, Stingers Shutout Bucks 5-0 - Willmar Stingers
- Chinooks Show Life Late But Come up Short at the Hands of the Madison Mallards - Lakeshore Chinooks
- Madison Repels Lakeshore Late, Sweep Chinooks - Madison Mallards
- Battle Jacks Beat Growlers 6-3, Win on the Road for the First Time - Battle Creek Battle Jacks
- Rivets Win at Home with a Final Score of 9-8 against the Kokomo Jackrabbits - Rockford Rivets
- Rafters Walk-Off Woodchucks to Take Series Opener Saturday Night - Wisconsin Rapids Rafters
- Rockers Conclude Road Trip with Second Game against Kingfish - Green Bay Rockers
- Dock Spiders' Bats Come Alive But Fall to Pit Spitters 14-8 - Fond du Lac Dock Spiders
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