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Eau Claire, WI – The Express struggled again late in this Sunday matinee game, losing 11-18 vs. the Rochester Honkers.
The Express took the early lead in the bottom of the first inning, and showed flashes of their first-half dominance, as they went up 4-0 on the Honkers. Although Rochester spat back with 4 runs of their own in the top of 2, the Express held steady.
Pitcher Robert Hogan (Texas A&M) was the second man on the mound for Eau Claire, coming in after starter Jake Ammann (Dakota County Tech) began to struggle in the 2nd. Hogan was a strikeout machine in his outing, throwing for 10 Ks through 4 2/3 innings. However, when his time on the bump came to a close, the door opened again for the Honkers as they poured on 10 late-game runs.
There was plenty of positive for the Express at the plate, as Rayth Petersen (UIC) helped kick off early scoring with a Home Run in the first inning. Cort MacDonald (Stanford) saw this feat, and doubled it, recording two homers of his own on the day. MacDonald’s performance at the plate earned him today’s Player of the Game honors.
Unfortunately for Eau Claire, the train slowed to a halt following the 7th inning, as they failed to add any more runs.
With today’s loss, the Express drop to 5-9 on the second half of the season. Thankfully for Eau Claire, a playoff berth is already guaranteed following their first-half division championship. They will look to boost their momentum going into the postseason though with a few more wins under their belt.
Eau Claire’s next game will come on Tuesday, July 18th when they play the Bucks at Waterloo. First pitch for this matchup will come at 6:35 pm CT, and the action will be streamed on the Northwoods League Website. You can also follow the team by listening on the radio at 106.7 FM-Moose Country or on iHeartRadio.
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The Eau Claire Express are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Now in its’ 30th season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 24 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires, and front office staff, over 325 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time All-Star and 2016 Roberto Clemente Award winner Curtis Granderson, three-time Cy Young Award winner and World Series Champion Max Scherzer (NYM), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and World Series Champion Chris Sale (BOS). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and 2019/2021 Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and 2021 All-Star, MLB Gold Glove winner and 2019 Second Team All-MLB shortstop Marcus Semien (TEX). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website. League games are viewable live at watchnwl.com and on ESPN+. For more information, visit www.eauclaireexpress.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Express as your favorite team.
