They say there’s no quit in this year’s Minot Hot Tots. Tuesday night was another display as the Tots closed a five-run deficit in the ninth inning to force extra innings. In the end, Minot would wind up on the losing end against the Rochester Honkers, 10-9, in ten innings.
Native American Heritage Night at Corbett Field started with pitching success by both teams. Christian Henderson went four shutout frames before the Honkers finally got to him. In the fifth inning, Jackson Glueck crushed a double off the wall that plated the first two runs of the game. Henderson would be pulled and one more run would score during the inning.
Jaylen Cream was incredible on the mound for Rochester. The Cameron University junior outdid Henderson with six scoreless innings. Cream also recorded nine strikeouts. He left the game with the Honkers up 4-0 and in line for the win. Little did anyone know what was about to happen next.
Once the Hot Tots finally got to face the Rochester bullpen, that’s when offensive improvements were made. Minot started off the seventh inning trailing 5-0. The Tots put together an early threat with back-to-back base hits and a hit by pitch to load the bases. Leadoff hitter Nathan Belle grounded into a fielder’s choice that traded an out for Minot’s first run. Drew Reaves followed up by punching a hit into right field that scored both base runners. Minot had drawn within two, but still had to find a way to quiet down the Honkers.
Rochester would not relent. Another Honker run in the eighth inning and two in the top of the ninth may have put the game out of reach in many people’s minds at 8-3.
Minot started the comeback quickly by taking two more hit by pitches. With two on and one out, Chris Daniels found the right-center field gap for a run-scoring double. Kellan Burke walked to lead the bases and Rochester already had to remove their ninth-inning arm, Trent Adrian.
With a new pitcher in the game, Tyler Arnold made a speedy adjustment, seeing two pitches out of the zone and clobbering the third for a game-tying grand slam. The giant swing earned Arnold First Command Play of the Game and SportClips MVP recognition. Minot still had an opportunity to win the game in the ninth, but left the winning run on base.
In the tenth inning, Rochester capitalized on the ghost runner at second base with an inside-the-park home run by Sam Harry. That play slowed nearly all of the Hot Tots’ momentum in the game.
Minot would scratch across one run in the bottom of the tenth, but it wasn’t enough. The Tots saw their three-game winning streak snap in their return home.
Minot reliever Dylan Leoff recorded Tuesday’s SRT Fastest Pitch at 90 mph. The Hot Tots will attempt to salvage a series split with the Honkers on Wednesday with first pitch scheduled for 6:35 pm.
