All things were going in the right direction for the Minot Hot Tots in their pursuit of a win over St. Cloud, until the ninth. The Hot Tots were unable to close out the game, falling to the St. Cloud Rox 7-6.
The Rox started ahead with one run in the first inning, but the Tots were quick to answer. Matt Toomey singled to left field, bringing in Henry Allen to tie the game 1-1 in the third inning. The Rox manufactured another go-ahead run and snatched the lead back in the bottom of the third, moving the score to 2-1 St. Cloud.
The fourth inning was when the Hot Tots really got going. Minot loaded the bases against St. Cloud’s starter Wesley Johnson, who was pulled before getting a chance to pitch out of the jam. Brayton Thomas came in as the relief pitcher and started his outing with a bases-loaded walk. The next batter, Christian Stratis, brought in another run on a sacrifice fly to make it 3-2.
In the fifth inning, the Hot Tots would extend the lead against another Rox reliever. Both Bryson Webb and TJ Stottlemyre were walked with the bases loaded and Henry Allen would follow them up with an RBI single. The Hot Tots were feeling good at the halfway point, leading the Rox 6-2.
Hot Tot starting pitcher CJ Hanson would finish his day with a scoreless fifth inning. The Flagler College commit went five innings, allowing two earned runs, striking out three and avoiding any walks. The bullpen held strong until the seventh inning.
St. Cloud got the breakthrough hit they were looking for from do-it-all outfielder Tanner Recchio. Recchio’s base hit up the middle scored two, but the Rox were not done. Austin Haley made it a one-run game again with an RBI sac fly.
Leading 6-5, the Hot Tots had an opportunity for some insurance in the eighth, but left runners on the corners. Relief pitcher Pavlos Piperakis, tossed up a zero in the bottom of the eighth and the Tots were three outs away from snapping a 12-game losing streak to St. Cloud.
After another scoreless inning at the dish, manager Brian Lewis went to Austin Puett to pitch the ninth. Puett would allow just one hit, but two walks and an error tied the game. With the bases loaded, Puett plunked Austin Haley, but the umpires deemed that Haley had leaned into the pitch. The Rox argued, but to no avail. St. Cloud’s wish would soon come true, as on the very next offering, Haley was hit squarely in the arm, walking-off the game.
On Sunday, Minot goes for a bounce-back effort against the Rox with first pitch scheduled for 4:05 pm at the Rock Pile.
Despite the no decision, CJ Hanson again pitched his way to a SportClips MVP award. The number one starter in the rotation has a 3.66 ERA through four games but an 0-3 record. The Hot Tots drew nine Buffalo Wild Wings Walks.
