(Rochester, Minn.) – A 5-run fifth inning was enough to lead the La Crosse Loggers (9-5) past the Rochester Honkers 10-5 at Mayo Field on Tuesday Night. Offense was not hard to come by in this match-up as the Loggers and the Honkers combined for four home runs and 23 hits.
Tonight was the first time this season that the Loggers have bested the Honkers in three games and just the second time Rochester (8-7) has lost when scoring first.
Honkers starting pitcher Zak Devermann (Illinois) got his first loss of the year and gave up his first earned runs of the year. He threw 4 1/3 innings and gave up seven runs on eight hits. The first 10 2/3 innings Devermann (1-1) threw this year were scoreless. Michael Brandt tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings while surrendering just one hit. Connor Barrett (Point Loma Nazarene) gave up three runs on two hits in 1 2/3 innings of work. Reed Hjelle (Minnesota-Crookston) made his first appearance on the mound and worked 1 1/3 innings without giving up a run.
Rochester got on the board early as Alex Baeza (Hawaii) singled to left to bring home a run in the first. The Loggers had an answer in the second as Harrison Freed (Butler) and Brandon Raquet (William & Mary) each launched solo home runs.
The Honkers got back on the board in the third as Jaylon McLaughlin (Nevada) was able to steal home. Rochester put up three runs with one swing of the bat in the fourth as Derek Scott (Abilene Christian) hit his third home run of the year.
La Crosse responded with five runs in the fifth as Zion Pettigrew (Iowa) drove in two runs with a single and later scored on a wild pitch. Additionally, Donta Williams (Arizona) beat out an infield single to bring another run home. Freed capped off the inning with a sacrifice fly.
Freed came back in the eighth and gave the Loggers some insurance with his second solo home run of the night. Freed finished with three RBIs to double his season total. La Crosse continued to pile on as Pettigrew singled home a run and Bryce Blaum (Texas A&M) scored on wild pitch.
McLaughlin scored two runs and had two hits to give him his seventh multi-hit game of the season. Michael Michalak (Illinois), Benjamin Sems (Kansas) and Baeza each added two hits.
Loggers starting pitcher Grant Judkins (Iowa) got his second win of the year as he tossed five innings and allowed five runs on 10 hits.
First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. Wednesday for the finale of the series between the Loggers and the Honkers. Wednesday is World Cup Night, wear a FIFA jersey to the ballpark and get in free.
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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.
