Photos by Kari Gibb/MDN University of California, Irvine junior Blake Penso (24) smiles as he watches his hit clear the fence while University of California-Santa Barbara redshirt freshman Xavier Esquer (22) celebrates his solo home run with Grambling State University redshirt junior, Keanu Jacobs-Guishard at home plate- both home runs would be hit at the bottom of the fourth inning against the Mankato MoonDogs on Saturday, August 10, in the Hot Tots final game of the season at Corbett Field.

The Mankato MoonDogs (38-32) traveled to Minot to face the Hot Tots in the final game of the regular season.

The Minot Hot Tots (27-43) had just returned from Dickinson with a win in game two on the road and used that momentum for the 4-2 win at home to end the season.

Minot started the scoring at the bottom of the fourth inning of play. Xavier Esquer took the 1-0 pitch to right for a solo home run. With one out, two batters later, Blake Penso took an 0-1 pitch to nearly the same spot at right for the second solo home run of the inning for the 2-0 lead.

The Hot Tots would add two more runs at the bottom of the sixth inning. With one out, Adrian Dominquez would double to left to be in scoring position. One out later, Sam Holthaus was walked. With runners at first and second, Keanu Jacobs-Guishard was at bat when Dominquez stole third and Holthaus took second on a wild pitch.

A second wild pitch allowed Dominguez to score and Holthaus advanced to second. Jacobs-Guishard would take first when he was hit by a pitch after the run scored. Mankato then changed pitchers.

With two out, runners on first and second, Jaeden Jordahl was at bat and singled to center. On the single, the base runners had the MoonDog defense scrabbling for an out that allowed Holthaus to score for the second run of the inning and the 4-0 lead.

The Minot defense would keep Mankato scoreless until the top of the eighth inning. With one out, Taylor Steig hit a sacrifice fly to score Carter Vrabel for the first MoonDog run. With bases loaded, Jake McGhee was hit by a pitch and took first and advanced the runners. Marcus Galvan advanced from third to score for the 4-2 final for the Hot Tots.

Minot was 7-for-29 at the plate with one error as a team. Holthaus was 2-for-3 batting while Penso was 2-for-4 with one being the solo home run in the fourth. Esquer had one hit, his solo home run while Dominquez and Jordahl had the other hits.

Patrick Morris pitched seven innings and allowed three hits, walked two batters and tallied six strikeouts in a solid game. Griffin Webb pitched one inning and allowed two runs on one hit. Ashton Jenkins pitched one inning and allowed one hit, walked one batter and recorded one strikeout in relief.

Mankato was 5-for-31 batting and played error free ball. McGhee was 2-for-3 at the plate with one RBI while Vrabel was 2-for-4 and scored one run. The MoonDogs used six pitchers and together allowed seven hits, four runs, walked three batters, recorded ten strikeouts and the two home runs by the Hot Tots.