(Rochester, Minn.)— The Rochester Honkers fell 5-3 to the Thunder Bay Border Cats in Thunder Bay Thursday night. Ricky Delgado (San Joaquin Delta Community College) was charged with the loss for Rochester after surrendering the go ahead home run for Thunder Bay to Nate Nolan (St. Mary’s College). Kyle Von Ruden (Hawaii) earned the win for Thunder Bay after throwing all nine innings, giving up three runs on four hits. Von Ruden also struck out six batters. Rochester starter Alex Evans (Barton CC) received a no decision after throwing six innings, allowing one run on five hits and striking out six batters.
Thunder Bay scored in the first inning, but the Honkers responded in the third, as Ryan Webberley (Cal Poly Pomona) came across on a ground out double play by Alex Schultz (Nebraska-Omaha). Rochester took the lead on Mark Contreras’ RBI single that brought in Joe DeRoche-Duffin (UCONN). Contreras scored on Sam Hall’s (Dixie State) single to give the Honkers a 3-1 lead in the fourth inning.
That lead held into the eighth inning, when Nolan lifted the first pitch he saw from Delgado over the left field wall with runners on first and second to give the Border Cats a 4-3 lead. Thunder Bay scored once more for insurance in the eighth and held Rochester to just one base runner in the ninth setting the final at 5-3.
The Honkers will face the Border Cats again tomorrow in Thunder Bay at 6:05 p.m. Josh Pigg (Hawaii) is scheduled to start for Rochester.
The Honkers will be back in Rochester Tuesday, June 30th, to face the Waterloo Bucks at 12:05 p.m. at Mayo Field. It will be Kids 3 Buck Day, presented by Perkins, where all kids 12 and under can get into the game for just three dollars. It will be the first game of a split double header. The second game will be in Waterloo at 7:05 that night. These will be the first two games in the Honkers' and Bucks' competition for the Scheel's Highway 63 Cup this season. The Cup is awarded to the winner of the season series between Rochester and Waterloo.
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
