(Rochester, Minn.)– The Rochester Honkers had more trouble scoring runs on Tuesday as they dropped their fourth consecutive game, this time to the Battle Creek Bombers, 3-1.
More woes with runners in scoring position spelled doom for the Honkers even after a great pitching performance for Matt Kent (Texas A&M) in his Honkers debut this season. Kent did not allow a hit in the game until the bottom of the 5th inning, and even then, he made sure Justin Stawychny (Louisiana at Monroe) wasn’t on base for long and picked him off shortly after his soft single into right field.
The Honkers struck first in the game, scoring their first and only run on a bases-loaded walk by catcher Jack Goihl (Augustana College). Jordan Smith (Minnesota) followed Goihl and hit a chopper up the middle but a good defensive play by second baseman Sebastian Diaz (Miami) left the Honkers with the bases loaded and a short-lived lead.
Kent quickly surrendered the first Bombers run in the bottom of the 6th inning on a leadoff double and run-scoring single but would leave the damage there until the 7th when he allowed a two-run homerun to Stawychny, the only player in the game to collect multiple hits.
The Honkers could only muster 3 hits in the game because of Bombers pitching. Starter Marcellus Sneed (Madison College) pitched 5.2 innings and scattered 3 hits and 4 walks, and his only run allowed was unearned.
Later, Goihl lead off the 9th inning with a walk and would eventually steal second base and make it to third on an error by Diaz. The error put the tying run on first base with two outs for the hot-hitting L.J. Brewster (Hawaii). Brewster struck out swinging, though; the last 6 outs for the Honkers were via the strikeout from the hard arms out of the Bombers’ bullpen.
The Honkers will have to wait until tomorrow evening to attempt to get back on track as the team has lost four games in a row with an absent offense. The Honkers will hand the ball to Logan Spitzack (St. Cloud State) as he looks to halt the losing streak. The game will be in Battle Creek, Mich., with first pitch at 6:05 p.m. The next time the Honkers are home will be this Saturday. For ticket information, visit rochesterhonkers.com.
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The Rochester Honkers are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Playing its 21st season of summer collegiate baseball, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 18 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires and front office staff, more than 115 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (DET), Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (WAS), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Allen Craig (STL) and Ben Zobrist (TB). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League YouTube channel. For more information, visitwww.rochesterhonkers.com.
