(Rochester, Minn.) – A three-run home run by Scott Ogrin (Cal Poly) in the seventh propelled the Eau Claire Express to defeat the Rochester Honkers 6-4 on Saturday Night at Carson Park. Eau Claire improved to 10-15 as the Honkers fall to 13-12.
Benjamin Sems (Kansas) led the way on offense for the Honkers, he launched his first home run of the year, had three hits and scored two runs. Matt Hardy (UC Riverside) joined Sems in hitting his first home run of the year.
Honker’s starter Drew Slade (Ripon) was tagged his third loss of the year. Slade only allowed two runs on two hits through six innings but finished the game with five runs on five hits in 6 2/3 innings of work. Connor Barrett (Point Loma Nazarene) came in and tossed a third of an inning giving up one run on one hit. Ryan Casper (Point Loma Nazarene) came in relief to throw a scoreless eighth inning.
The Express put up a run in the first as Garrett Gouldsmith (New Mexico) came around to score on a wild pitch to put the Express up 1-0.
The lead was short lived as Sems ripped a two-run home run in the second to put the Honkers up 2-1. Hardy helped the Honkers extend their lead to 3-1 with a home run in the fourth.
Tommy Gilman (Midland) helped the Express close the gap as he came around to score on a wild pitch in the fifth.
The Honkers got the run back in the seventh as Taylor Adams (Oregon) drove in his first run of the season to put Rochester up 4-2.
Eau Claire responded with a big seventh inning as Orgin hit a three-run shot to put the Express up 5-4. Nick Brueser (Stanford) gave the Express an insurance run and put them up 6-4.
Noah Sifrit (Oklahoma State) earned the win in relief for Eau Claire, he tossed two innings and gave up one run on one hit.
The Honkers begin a six-game home stand on Sunday as they host the Express at 1:05 p.m. Chad Tworek (Keiser) is scheduled to start on the mound for the Honkers, Tworek has a 3-1 record and a 3.00 ERA. Tworek will be up against Josh Gaworski (Concordia-St. Paul) from Eau Claire, he has posted a 1-1 record and a 4.82 ERA. Sunday will be Bellies and Baseball Day at Mayo Field and a Rochesterfest button game, wear a Rochesterfest button and receive $3 off general admission. Additionally, it is Slider’s Kids Club Day, kids eat free on the Sports Deck.
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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.
