Tots extend win streak to three
The Hot Tots won their first game of the two-game series at home against the Mankato MoonDogs the evening of July 29, extending their win streak to three.
The game started with an early Hot Tots lead in the bottom of the first inning. Blake Cavill was able to knock a homerun out of the park to bring him and Jacob Pearl in to make the game 2-0. Matt Toomey and Rowan Felsh both struck out before Christian Stratis was thrown out at first to end the inning.
The MoonDogs scored their first runs in the top of the second. The secured four runs, including two off of a triple into right field hit by Josey Williamson. Preston Freeman was thrown out stealing before the MoonDogs could widen the gap even further, leaving the score 2-4 at the end of the half.
Toomey was able to redeem himself and the Hot Tots in the bottom of the second inning. With two outs on the board and bases loaded, Toomey was able to rocket the ball over the right field fence for a grand slam, giving the Hot Tots their lead back with a new score of 6-4. Max Ortega kept the ball rolling with another run scored, this time off of a double into center field hit by Rowan Felsch. Felsch himself would then score off of a double from Christian Stratis and Stratis would score on the very next batter with Ethan Reader hitting a double into right field. The inning finally concluded with a strike out swinging for Ryan Castro.
Neither team scored again until the bottom of the fourth inning when Castro brought home Felsch and Reader with a double into center field for two additional runs. The MoonDogs started to even the score in the top of the sixth with a two-run home run from Miken Miller, but the Hot Tots were able to keep them from getting any closer. Minot scored a run of their own in the bottom of the sixth by way of a single to bring Felsch home.
Mankato once again scored in the top of the seventh to try and even the odds. They scored a total of four runs that inning, bringing the score to 12-10 at the end of the half. The Tots were unable to widen their lead in the seventh and eighth, but the MoonDogs could not seem to break that two-run barrier and the game ended after the top of the ninth with a 12-10 score for a Hot Tots victory.
The Tots have just one more game against the MoonDogs for the regular season scheduled at home on July 30. If Minot is able to secure the two-game series sweep against Mankato, they will tie their season win streak record for 2025.