Photos by Kari Gibb/MDN Blake Penso (24), a junior at the University of California, Irvine, smiles as he watches his hit go over the fence while Xavier Esquer (22), a redshirt freshman at the University of California-Santa Barbara, celebrates his solo home run with Keanu Jacobs-Guishard, a redshirt junior at Grambling State University, at home plate – both home runs were hit in 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 their second away game and used that momentum to finish with a 4-2 home victory at the end of the season.

Minot started scoring in the bottom of the fourth inning. Xavier Esquer hit a 1-0 pitch to right for a solo home run. With one out and two batters later, Blake Penso hit an 0-1 pitch to nearly the same spot in right for the second solo home run of the inning, putting the team ahead 2-0.

The Hot Tots were able to score two more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. With one out, Adrian Dominquez hit a double to left to get into scoring position. One out later, Sam Holthaus was stopped by a walk. With runners on first and second base, Keanu Jacobs-Guishard was at bat when Dominquez stole third base and Holthaus took second base on a wild pitch.

A second wild pitch allowed Dominguez to score and Holthaus moved to second base. Jacobs-Guishard took over first base when he was hit by a pitch after the score. Then Mankato changed pitchers.

With two outs and runners on first and second base, Jaeden Jordahl stepped up to bat and hit a single to center. With the single, the baserunners forced the MoonDog defense to force an out, allowing Holthaus the second run of the inning and a 4-0 lead.

Minot’s defense held Mankato scoreless until the top of the eighth inning. With one out, Taylor Steig hit a sacrifice fly that gave Carter Vrabel the MoonDogs’ first run. With the bases loaded, Jake McGhee was hit by a pitch, took over first base and advanced the runners. Marcus Galvan advanced from third base to make it 4-2 for the Hot Tots.

Minot was 7-for-29 at bat with one error as a team. Holthaus was 2-for-3 at batting while Penso was 2-for-4, with one of those 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, allowing three hits, walking two batters and getting six strikeouts in a solid outing. Griffin Webb pitched one inning, allowing two runs on one hit. Ashton Jenkins pitched one inning, allowing one hit, walking one batter and getting one strikeout in relief.

Mankato hit 5 for 31 and played error-free. McGhee hit 2 for 3 with an RBI, while Vrabel hit 2 for 4 and scored a run. The MoonDogs used six pitchers and allowed a total of seven hits and four runs, walked three batters, and got 10 strikeouts and the Hot Tots’ two home runs.