Box Score

The old saying in baseball goes as follows: "Hit 'em where they aint."

That is something the Eau Claire Express coudln't master in a 3-1 loss to the visiting Rochester Honkers Thursday in front of 1,052 fans at Carson Park.

Eau Claire only mustered up four hits in the contest, but many of the outs were line drives finding the leather of a Rochester glove.

After going down 2-0 early, the orange and black got a run on an RBI groundout from UW-Milwaukee product Justin Jaquish to plate Wednesday night's hero, Brian Sicher.

But that was all Eau Claire could manage in terms of runs. It did bring the winning run to the plate in the bottom of the ninth after a hit from another UW-Milwaukee product and former Eau Claire North standout Tyler Hermann and an error allowing Oxnard Community College utility man Jake Mavropolous to reach base safely. But Sicher bounced out to the Honkers' first baseman to end the game.

On the mound, Indiana's CJ Eldred, the Marshfield Clinic Player of the Night, did his job, throwing five innings and giving up just one earned run with three strikeouts.

Miles Nablo from Century Community College then tossed four innings in relief and gave up just one run on two hits. He also induced two double play balls.

Nick Gruener was sensational on the mound for the Honkers, going seven innings on just 84 pitches while giving up one run on three hits and seven strikeouts.

The Express travel to Rochester tomorrow before returning home for a six-game home stand starting Saturday. First pitch is at 7:05 tomorrow at Mayo Field in Rochester while first pitch Saturday at Carson Park is set for 6:35 against the Waterloo Bucks.