(Rochester, Minn.)– The Rochester Honkers defeated the Mankato MoonDogs 4-1 Monday night in Rochester after falling to the same MoonDogs 7-5 sunday night in Mankato. Jordan Gross (Tulane) picked up the win for the Honkers after allowing just one run in 6 innings of stellar work, and Ricky Delgado (San Joaqiun Delta College) got the save. Connor O"Neil (Cal State Northridge) Was charged with the loss for Mankato. William Paschal (Georgia Gwinnett) and Miles Mastrobuoni (College of San Mateo) both scored twice for all the Honkers runs. Matt Fiedler (Minnesota) had two RBIs for Rochester as well.
The Moondogs plated a run in the first inning, and it looked like it might be a long night for Honkers fans, but Gross and the Defense tightened up and held the MoonDogs back for the rest of the game.
O'Neil controlled the Honkers for the first half of the game, allowing just one hit through the first four innings. In the fifth, the Honkers finally broke loose as Paschal was brought in on a RBI single from Fiedler and Mastrobuoni scored on a RBI double from Connor Schaefbauer (Minnesota.) to give the Honkers a 2-1 lead.
Rochester put insurance runs on the board in the sixth as Mastrobuoni brought Paschal in on an RBI triple, then scored on an RBI single for Fiedler.
Jake Sparger (Louisville) and Delgado provided solid relief over the final three innnings, preventing Mankato from mounting a comeback, securing the Honkers 4-1 victory.
The Honkers are at home again tomorrow, June 23rd, hosting the Kalamazoo Growlers for the first of a two game series. The game will begin at 7:005 p.m. and gates will open at 6 p.m. It will be T-Shirt night, Sponsored by Quick Country 96.5, and the first 500 fans will receive a free Honkers t-shirt!
You can follow all the Honkers action on Sports Radio AM 1520 The Ticket with Clinton Cole, and on the Northwoods League Live stream, which can be found at northwoodsleague.com. Just click on the Watch Games Live link.
The Rochester Honkers are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Playing its 22nd season of summer collegiate baseball in 2015, 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 120 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (WAS), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Lucas Duda (NYM) and Ben Zobrist (OAK). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League Website. For more information, visit www.rochesterhonkers.com
