An entertaining start to Native American Heritage Night at Corbett Field set the stage for what could have been a fantastic finish. However, the visiting St. Cloud Rox pushed the pedal to the floor, scoring 13 unanswered runs and defeating the Minot Hot Tots 16-6 on Saturday night.
It was Minot scoring first, starting up a two-out rally and coming through with a Christian Stratis double that scored two runs. Matt Toomey and Max Ortega crossed the plate as the first two earned runs allowed by Rox starting pitcher JP Robertson who had gone 20 innings with a 0.00 ERA.
In his fifth start of the season, CJ Hanson pitched out jams for the Hot Tots early on, but eventually conceded a run in the third. Tyson LeBlanc doubled to the left field corner, scoring Josh Dykhoff easily, but it was St. Cloud’s attempt to send Augusto Mungarrieta home that created the First Command Play of the Game. From left field, Christian Stratis relayed the ball to catcher Will Smoot in time to end the inning with just one run scored. It was also the second time in the same inning Stratis had cut down a runner at the plate.
Moving ahead to the fourth inning, the Rox would tie the game on a two-run homer by Jaixen Frost. The tie would be broken by Minot hanging up three runs in the bottom half. Run-scoring hits by Will Smoot and Jacob Pearl got it started and a sacrifice fly by Matt Toomey that scored Pearl made the score 6-3.
After a scoreless fifth inning, CJ Hanson trotted back to the mound to complete a six-inning start, something he had not done all season. The inning began on a quick single by LeBlanc and a 13-pitch battle against Cayden Gaskin that ended in a walk. Hanson was pulled without recording an out in the sixth inning. Austin Puett came in as the reliever and began his outing by walking two batters and hitting another. The score was 6-5 and managed to stay that way when Dominic Smaldino grounded into an inning-ending double play.
Puett was back for the seventh and started that inning by giving up a hit and hitting another batter. With runners at first and second with no out, St. Cloud called a bunt play. Tyson LeBlanc got it down and the ball was fielded by Puett. His throw ended up in left field allowing both baserunners to come around to score and LeBlanc to make his way to third base. That play put the Rox in front for the first time all evening and St. Cloud wouldn’t give it up.
The Rox scored two more runs in the seventh inning as well as seven in the ninth, blowing the game wide open at 16-6. The Tots loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth, but were unable to score against St. Cloud’s bullpen.
Game four of the series will begin Sunday afternoon at 1:05 pm CT with the Hot Tots still searching for their first win against St. Cloud since May 2024.
Christian Stratis was named SportClips MVP for the second consecutive night. Austin Puett recorded the SRT Fastest Pitch at 93 mph. Minot was able to draw eight Buffalo Wild Wings Walks.
