For MoonDogs, success coming without a star

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Mankato MoonDogs catcher Chase Fowler keeps Waterloo's Peter Leonello from scoring during the first inning Tuesday at Franklin Rogers Park. Pat Christman

July 3, 2012

For MoonDogs, success coming without a star

Mankato tops Waterloo, extends win streak to eight

By Shane Frederick Free Press Staff Writer The Mankato Free Press Tue Jul 03, 2012, 11:41 PM CDT

MANKATO — With one game left in the first half of the summer schedule, the Mankato MoonDogs are the best team in the Northwoods League and off to the best start in team history.

Tuesday’s 15-9 victory over the Waterloo Bucks at Franklin Rogers Park put the MoonDogs at 27-7. They clinched the North Division and a playoff berth on Saturday night.

“(Manager Mike) Orchard and I had this discussion,” general manager Kyle Mrozek said. “We don’t have a superstar. We don’t have a Shaun Cooper (last year’s Northwoods League MVP). Every night someone different steps up.”

Against the Bucks, it was center fielder Cody Ferrell. He played like a superstar with a 5-for-5, two-home run performance. Ferrell drove in four runs, scored four times and stole four bases.

But Mrozek pointed out that the MoonDogs are getting top performances all around the diamond.

“Going into tonight we were tied for second (in the league) in hitting, third in pitching and first in fielding,” he said. “It doesn’t matter which sport it is — football, hockey — you talk about winning all facets of the game. …

“This is a well-rounded team, top to bottom.”

Mankato, which is on an eight-game winning streak for the second time this season and improved to 17-3 at home, didn’t get the best pitching or hitting on Tuesday. Starting pitcher Kyle McGrath lasted seven innings for his fourth win despite giving up 11 hits (he also struck out six and walked just one), and the Bucks finished with a total of 12 hits. The defense also committed three errors.

But the MoonDogs also pounded out 14 hits and took advantage of three Waterloo errors. They scored runs in all but two of eight innings.

Chase Fowler finished 2 for 4 with two RBIs. Chris Munoz also had two hits with a double, an RBI and two runs scored.

“I noticed early in the year — this team was pretty quiet,” Mrozek said. “But at some point they came out of their shell. … It’s great to see how they’ve become a cohesive unit. These guys pick each other up.”

Case in point was the way the MoonDogs responded to every offensive output by the Bucks.

Waterloo grabbed a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning, but Mankato responded with a four-run bottom of the inning.

When the Bucks scored twice in the fourth to tie the game again, Mankato came back with a five-run bottom half to take a 9-4 lead.

During that rally, the MoonDogs scored all of their runs with two outs. That included a two-run home run to left field by Ferrell. Prior to that, Fowler hit an RBI single, and two runs came in on an error.

The second homer by Fowler, the Southern Mississippi product, gave Mankato a 14-6 lead in the eighth inning.

For Waterloo, Freddy Villalobos finished 2 for 4 with a three-run home run off Alex Hill in the ninth inning.

The MoonDogs and the Bucks will play again at 6:05 p.m. today at Franklin Rogers Park.

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For MoonDogs, success coming without a star

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