Contact: Colton Andresen, Media Relations Coordinator
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Loggers’ Bats Quiet in 5-1 Loss to Honkers
Win streak ends at four to begin 2018 season
La Crosse, Wis. – The La Crosse Loggers lost their first game of the 2018 season Saturday night in game one of a two game set against the Rochester Honkers. The Lumbermen started the season a perfect 4-0 heading into Saturday, the longest win streak to start a season in franchise history.
The Honkers jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning thanks to a leadoff home run by Derek Scott (Abilene Christian) and RBI double by Reed Hjelle (Minnesota Crookston). Rochester would score again in the top of the third inning after back-to-back singles by Michael Michalak (Illinois) and Ryan Casper (Point Loma Nazarene) put Loggers’ starting pitching Peter Hamot (Lewis) in an early jam. The right hander was able to escape surrendering just one unearned run on an errant throw by the shortstop on an attempted double play, plating Michalak from second base. Hamot would go 4.0 innings in his second start of the summer, allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits while striking out four. The Honkers added two more in the fifth off of relief pitcher Jon Meyerring to make it 5-0 via an RBI double by Michalak, who would come around to score on a single to right by Benjamin Sems (Kansas).
The Loggers lineup was stifled by Rochester starting pitcher David Lemasters (Lake Erie), who surrendered just one hit during his 6.2 shutout innings of work, striking out six while walking one. A bright spot in the Loggers’ lineup came in the form of number eight batter Kody Gardner (Sacramento City), who went 3-for-4 with a double and scored La Crosse’s only run on a wild pitch in the eighth inning. The Loggers rallied in both the sixth and eighth innings on Saturday night, but timely hitting eluded the club as they left a total of eight runner on base. Right handers Daylon Matthews and Quentin Miller (Butler) were sharp in relief as the Loggers’ bullpen continues to impress.
La Crosse and Rochester will be back in action at Copeland Park and Event Center again tomorrow evening with first pitch scheduled for 5:05 PM CT. Come help celebrate National Cancer Survivors Day presented by Mayo Clinic Health System and Gundersen Health System as the Loggers honor the brave men, women, and children overcoming cancer.
The La Crosse Loggers are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Now in its 25th anniversary season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 20 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, more than 190 former Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist (CHC) and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (BOS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET) and Curtis Granderson (TOR). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League portal. For more information, visit www.lacrosseloggers.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Loggers as your favorite team.
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