Just like manager Brian Lewis’ gameplan stated, as long as the Hot Tots stayed with the Rox early they had a chance. With the score 3-2 in favor of St. Cloud going into the eighth, that was the case, but the Rox would run away with the game late, opening the four-game series with a 7-2 win over Minot.

In the second inning, the scoring began. Ethan Gibson doubled to left, scoring Augusto Mungarietta and putting the Rox up 1-0. It was the only run allowed by Minot starter Jason Masick who went three innings.

The Hot Tots would tie the game in the fourth inning on a Matt Toomey RBI triple. The extra-base hit turned out to be the First Command Play of the Game. Minot quickly fell behind again in the fifth after Dominic Smaldino hit a league-leading seventh home run of the season, but the Hot Tots would continue to chip away.

In the bottom of the fifth, leadoff batter Jacob Pearl placed a single into centerfield that brought in Ryan Castro from third. The Tots would leave two runners on base and trail 3-2 after five.

The relief pitchers from both teams battled through runners in scoring position and, specifically to the Hot Tots, errors. In total, Minot would commit five errors with four of them charged to the pitchers for errant pickoff attempts. The errors started to make a difference in the eighth inning when the Rox were helped around the bases by wild baseballs. St. Cloud put up two runs in the inning to take a 5-2 lead.

Brady Ballinger led off the ninth inning with a solo home run for the Rox, the last punch needed to knock down the Hot Tots. Minot would still give it their best shot in the last half-inning, but down five  with the bases loaded, nothing came of the rally. The game went final, 7-2 in favor of St. Cloud.

Game two of the series will be played Friday night at 6:35 pm. The Hot Tots will combine another R.E.D Friday home game with a pre-game Touch-A-Truck event.

Along with the triple he had in the fourth inning, Matt Toomey would run out an infield single showing hustle worthy enough to be named SportClips MVP. The Hot Tots drew another five Buffalo Wild Wings Walks. The SRT Fastest Pitch went to Nolan Girard at 89 mph.