The Minot Hot Tots scored early in Friday’s game against the St. Cloud Rox, but it wasn’t sustained, dropping game two of the series 7-3.

Hitting in the top of the first, St. Cloud manufactured the first run. Leadoff batter Tanner Recchio bunted his way on base and was moved to second on a hit by pitch. A throwing error by Hot Tot pitcher Braden Booth advanced Recchio to third and he would later score on a groundout on a groundout by Josh Dykhoff.

St. Cloud’s 1-0 lead would not last long as the Hot Tot got their first four batters on base safely. Jacob Pearl reached on an error and was quickly brought across home by a Christian Stratis double. After a Bryson Webb bunt single, Matt Toomey picked up his 12th RBI on a single to center, giving the Tots the lead at 2-1.

From there, both teams were held scoreless until the fifth. Rox starter JD Dobis got comfortable on the mound, going four innings with one earned run and six strikeouts. For Minot, Booth was sent out to complete a fifth inning of work but got caught up in another Rox power-hitting display.

Nolan Geislinger began the fifth inning with his first home run of the season, tying the game at two runs apiece. With one out and following a Brady Ballinger double, the Northwoods League leader in home runs, Dominic Smaldino, crushed one over the left field fence to reclaim the lead, 4-2.

With Dobis now out of the game, Minot had to play from behind against the Rox bullpen, regarded as the best in Northwoods League baseball. The Hot Tots main issue was a high number of strikeouts. St. Cloud’s relievers went wild, sitting down 11 Hot Tots in the final five innings of the game.

As St. Cloud extended their lead, Minot couldn’t keep pace. A ninth-inning home run by Brady Ballinger was the final nail, giving the Rox a 7-3 advantage. The Hot Tots were blanked in the bottom of the ninth by Eric Lin and the game went final.

Game three of the series will take place Saturday evening on Native American Heritage Night at Corbett Field. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 pm CT.

The awards for Friday’s game were as follows: Christian Stratis’ 2-for-4 day at the plate with an RBI double earned him SportClips MVP, Jackson Duncan’s 88 mph heater was the SRT Fastest Pitch, and Zach Doyle’s home run in the seventh as his first Northwoods League was a perfect fit for First Command Play of the Game.