As a pitching staff the Rochester Honkers were the best in the Northwoods League at keeping the baseball from leaving the park — until Monday night.
Rochester pitchers allowed three home runs including a grand slam and the Mankato MoonDogs overpowered the Honkers 10-2 on a steamy summer night at Mayo Field.
Mankato's power surge sent Rochester reeling to its fifth straight defeat to open the second half of the Northwoods League summer college season. The Honkers have allowed 40 runs in the five-game skid.
"It's definitely still a salvageable situation; we're just five games into the second half," said Nick Dolsky, Rochester's starter and losing pitcher.
Dolsky (0-2) lost his duel against college teammate Jon Perrin, who allowed just two earned runs and six hits over 5 2/3 innings for the win. Dolsky and Perrin had neighboring lockers in the spring at Oklahoma State.
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Perrin benefited from more run support as the MoonDogs scored in five consecutive innings beginning in the second.
Dolsky allowed two runs on three hits in the second inning, along with a balk that put the two runs in scoring position. He yielded a run-scoring double in the third inning and didn't return for the fourth; his night was done after 66 pitches.
"My arm was getting a little tired; I just didn't want to risk hurting it," said Dolsky, whose record dipped to 0-2.
Mankato had a 3-0 lead before it turned on the power. Quinnton Mack (New Mexico St.) belted a solo homer in the fourth inning against reliever Michael Letkewicz (Augustana), his third.
John Michael Twichell (UT Arlington) did the rest with a two-run homer to right-center in the fifth inning and then a grand slam to right in the sixth. Twichell also doubled and finished 3-for-5 with six RBIs and two runs. He now has five homers and two slams this summer.
Rochester entered the game with the fewest home runs allowed in the league at 14, but now two other teams have allowed fewer, Willmar (16) and Duluth (15).
Rochester interrupted Mankato's power surge with a two-run homer of its own by Jeff Campbell (North Dakota) in the bottom of the fourth. It was Campbell's third homer, and he also doubled to go 2-for-4. Max Murphy (Bradley) and Jared Deacon (Cal State Fullerton) also had two hits each for Rochester.
NOTES:Rochester's Carter Burgess (Sam Houston St.) went 1-for-4 and leads the league with a .427 batting average. ... Mankato outfielder Timothy Arakawa had his 21st steal in the fifth inning and ranks second in the league in steals behind Duluth's Keith Curcio with 23. ... Mankato leads the series with Rochester 4-2. ... The two teams finish off the two-game series at 1:05 p.m. today at Mayo Field. The Honkers' probable starter is Western Illinois lefty Mason Pingel (2-2).
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Mankato 10, Honkers 2
Mankato #021#124#000#—#10#12#0
Honkers #000#200#000#—#2#8#1
Mankato MoonDogs:Arakawa 2 R, 1 SB; Leal 1-for-4, 1 R; Twichell 3-for-5, 1 2B, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 2 R; Zehner 2-for-4, 1 RBI; Rodriguez 1-for-5, 1 R; Woodward 1-for-4, 1 R; Wollenzin 1-for-4, 1 R; Mack 3-for-4, 1 2B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 2 R. WP: Perrin (2-2) 5 2/3 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K; Harbin 1 1/3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K; Quick 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K; Mittura 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K.
Rochester Honkers:Burgess 1-for-4; Murphy 2-for-3, 1 R; Campbell 2-for-4, 1 2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 R; Deacon 2-for-4; Friel 1-for-4. LP: Dolsky (0-2) 3 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 K; Letkewicz 2 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 2 K; Edwards 2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K; Paladino 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K.
T — 2:53. A — 871.
