Minot, ND – For the third season in a row, the St. Cloud Rox spoiled the Opening Day festivities at Corbett Field. On Monday night, it was the Rox power hitting on display, winning 9-0 with the help of three home runs.

The Minot Hot Tots enjoyed playing in front of a sold out crowd for the home opener at Corbett. The fans saw a good pitching matchup early on between CJ Hanson of Minot and Wesley Johnson of St. Cloud. The first inning saw the First Command Play of the Game, a base-hit by Robbie Demetree, the first of many for Minot this summer. Both starters would finish their outings without an earned run, but an error committed by Hanson himself would score the Rox first run.

It would stay a one-to-nothing game until the fifth when the Rox erupted against the Hot Tot bullpen. A two-run home run by Austin Haley was the only scoring for St. Cloud in the fifth and a two-run home run by Tyler Bishop added to the lead in the top of the sixth. Already up 6-0, the Rox launched one more into the night sky, a no-doubter down the line by Jackson Cooke.

The St. Cloud bullpen held on to the shutout all the way through, combining for five strikeouts over four innings of relief.

Two more runs in the ninth inning put the Rox ahead for good and Aiden Lieser closed down the house with two punchouts, sealing a 9-0 win.

The Hot Tots will go for a split with St. Cloud tomorrow night at 6:35 pm.

Highlights of the Game: 

Sport Clips MVP of the Game: CJ Hanson