(Rochester, Minn.) – The Rochester Honkers fell to the Thunder Bay Border Cats 10-4 in Thunder Bay Saturday night.
Turner Buis (Cal State Fullerton) led the game off with a solo home run to give the Honkers a 1-0 lead. The Border Cats came right back with a run of their own to tie the game at one in the first.
The Honkers broke the tie when Alex Fitchett (Hawaii) launched a two-run home run to make the score 3-1 in the fourth, and then Jackson Thoreson (St. Mary’s) walked with the bases loaded to make the score 4-1 in the fifth.
The Border Cats scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth, and it started when Thunder Bay got a sacrifice fly from Mitch Bigras (Boston College). Shane Shepard (North Carolina State) and Anthony Brocato (St. John’s University) scored on Honkers’ errors.
In the seventh, Brocato hit a RBI double to break the 4-4 tie, followed by a RBI single from Bigras. Gul Gingras (St. John’s University) hit a RBI single of his own, and then Jordan Gillerman (St. John’s University) hit a sacrifice fly to make it 8-4. The Border Cats added two runs in the eight to make the score 10-4.
Erik Cha (Cal State Fullerton) got the start for the Honkers; he went five innings, allowed four runs, two of them earned, on six hits, walked four and struck out two. Brett Herber (1-1) ( (Winona State) took the loss in relief; he went one inning, allowed four runs on three hits and walked one. Lance Berringer (Washington) and Bayley Chesterton (Riverside CC) pitched the final two innings for Rochester.
Shannon Broussard (Cedar Valley) got the start for the Border Cats; he went six innings, allowed four runs on six hits, walked three and struck out nine. Ben Hoffman (2-5) (Monmouth University) got the win in relief for the Border Cats; he pitched three shutout innings, allowed one hit and struck out four.
Casey Worden (UC Riverside) went 2-for-4, while Fitchett and Buis each went 1-for-4 to lead the Honkers. Brocato went 4-for-4 with three runs sored and a RBI, while Bigras went 2-for4 with two RBI and a run scored to lead the Border Cats.
With the loss the Honkers fall to 11-19 in the second half and 18-47 overall, while Thunder Bay moved to 13-17 in the second half and 19-45 overall.
The Honkers and Border Cats play tomorrow, with first pitch set for 4:05 p.m. The Honkers are back at home on Monday as the St. Cloud Rox come to town on WWE/Superhero night with Z-ROCK 107.7! Come dressed as your favorite WWE Superstar or Superhero and gain general admission for free! First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. and gates open at 6:00!
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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 or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store and set the Honkers as your favorite team!
