(Rochester, Minn.) – The Rochester Honkers (7-6) fell to the North Division leading Bismarck Larks 6-2 at Bismarck Municipal Park on Sunday afternoon. The Honkers offense was not able to execute as they collected nine hits but left 10 runners on base.
Jaylon McLaughlin (Nevada) continued to swing the bat well as he went 2-for-4 and scored a run. McLaughlin is second on the team with a .351 batting average. Michael Michalak (Illinois) reached base in all four of his plate appearances with two hits and two walks.
Honker starter Drew Slade (Ripon) got his second loss of the year after throwing four innings and giving up six runs on 11 hits. Michael Brandt (Augustana) came in relief to toss two scoreless innings and strike out four. Thomas Greely (San Joaquin Delta College) came in to work 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Chandler Cannon (Walters State) threw a 1/3 of an inning and left the game with an apparent injury.
The Larks (9-4) got on the board in the first off of back-to-back RBI singles by Dylan Rock (UT-San Antonio) and Brandon Barna (Alcorn State).
The Honkers immediately responded with a run in the second. David Noworyta (Hawaii) drove in Michalak with an infield single. Kyle Stevens (Murray State) got the run back for Bismarck driving a RBI double to center field.
Rochester put up another run in the third on a RBI single by Michalak. Bismarck responded with an RBI single by Braden Williams (New Mexico State).
The Larks broke the game open in the fourth as Matthew Warkentin (Xavier) doubled in two more runs.
Larks starting pitcher Carlos Lopez (Puerto Rico) got his third win of the year spinning 6 2/3 innings allowing two runs on nine hits and three strike outs.
The Honkers will finish the 2-game series in Bismarck on Monday at 7:05 p.m. Rochester return to Mayo Field Tuesday for a 7:05 p.m. match-up with the La Crosse Loggers. Tuesday is Digital Portrait Night presented by Salt & Pepper Photography and KROC 106.9.
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The Rochester Honkers are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Now in its 25th anniversary season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 20 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 190 former Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball,including three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist (CHC) and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (BOS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET) and Curtis Granderson (TOR). 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 or on Google Play and set the Honkers as your favorite team.
