(Rochester, Minn.) – Griffin Conine (Duke) hit a 2-run home run in the first inning, and Luke Farley (Iowa) hit a 3-run home run in the fifth inning to push the Loggers to a 10-5 win over the Rochester Honkers Sunday night at Copeland Park.
The Loggers scored four runs in the bottom of the first, getting two of the runs off of Conine’s home run. The Honkers got one run back in the third when Alex Fitchett (Hawaii) hit an RBI single that scored Miles Lewis (North Dakota).
The Honkers cut the lead to 4-2 when Keaton Weisz (Auburn) scored on a Joey Czarske (Cal State Northridge) groundball out in the top of the fifth. The Loggers opened the game up in the bottom half of the same inning on Farley’s 3-run home run.
Christopher Scalisi (Redlands) hit a single to center field, that Garrett Zech bobbled, that Troy Traxler (Minnesota) and Brett Harrison (North Dakota) to score, making the score 7-4.
The Loggers added a run in the bottom of the sixth, while the Honkers got a run on a Jackson Thoreson (St. Mary’s) sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh. But, the Loggers tacked on two insurance runs in the eighth, earning the 10-5 win.
Clayton McGinness (1-1) (Wichita State) got the start and the loss for the Honkers; he pitched five innings, allowed nine hits, seven runs, walked two and struck out two. Nelson Martz (2-0) (Lewis Clark) got the start and the win for the Loggers; he pitched five innings, allowed six hits, two runs, walked one and struck out five.
Traxler went 3 for 4 with one run scored to pace the Honkers offense, while Czarske, Thoreson and Fitchett all collected a RBI. Farley led the Loggers offense, going 3 for 4 with four RBI and one run scored. Conine and Lorenzo Hampton Jr. (California) each collected two RBI.
With the loss, the Honkers fall to 4-9, while the Loggers move to 7-6.
The Honkers are back at home to play the same Loggers team Monday night. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. and it is MN Bankers Association Night at Mayo Field. Tuesday, the Honkers will travel to Waterloo to battle the Bucks, and then both teams will travel to Rochester to play at Mayo Field Wednesday night. It is Finding Dory night at Mayo Field Wednesday presented by CineMagic Theatres. The first 250 fans will receive a free movie ticket, and three, $100 prize packages will be given away!
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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 23rd 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 150 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 (DET), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Lucas Duda (NYM) and Ben Zobrist (CHC). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League portal. For more information, visit www.rochesterhonkers.com
