WATERLOO, IOWA — Despite nine hits and a strong first three innings for Rochester Honkers’ (4-10) starting pitcher Charles Harrison (UCLA), the Team in Teal couldn’t find the win column in its second consecutive game against the Waterloo Bucks (12-7), dropping the contest 7-3 on Thursday night at Waterloo Riverfront Stadium.
Rochester Honkers right-handed pitcher Charles Harrison (14) delivers a pitch in a game against the St. Cloud Rox on July 3, 2020 at Mayo Field in Rochester, Minn. (Dave Tester/Rochester Honkers)
The Honkers have struggled with early offense from the opposition all season, and the troubling trend held true Thursday. For the eighth time in 2020, Rochester allowed at least one run in the first inning: an RBI single by Waterloo left fielder Oraj Anu (Kentucky) plated the Bucks’ first tally. Two more Waterloo runs came home on a nonsensical play, in which the ball was thrown all around the Rochester infield.
The Bucks added four additional runs in the middle innings, first with a single tally in the fourth, when another unearned run came around to score on a single to right. Three more came home in the fifth thanks to a two-run home run and another RBI single to make it 7-0, Waterloo.
Rochester’s offense didn’t flip the switch to “on” until the top of the sixth, when the Honkers finally plated their first run on a Ryan Wrobleski (Dallas Baptist) fielder’s choice to second base that scored Tanner Tweedt (Sacramento City College).
The Honks had something brewing in their half of the seventh, when Jacob Shaver (Arizona) and Kyle Huckstorf (Iowa Western CC) set the table with back-to-back walks to lead off the inning. Shortstop Robert Moore (Arkansas) and Connor Denning (Campbell) singled each of them home with no outs in the inning to move the score to 7-3, but the Honkers stranded runners on second and third to end the threat.
Though Harrison took the loss, he hurled 4.1 innings for Rochester, his lengthiest outing of the season thus far. The right-hander allowed all seven runs scored (five earned) while walking two and striking out one.
Jack Zalasky (Sacramento State) tossed a strong 1.2 innings in relief, punching out three Bucks.
A trio of Honkers collected multi-hit nights. In addition to his run-scoring double, Denning singled in the fifth. Huckstorf tallied his second two-hit night of the season, last achieving the feat in the first game of the season in St. Cloud. Moore also turned in a two-hit game, and extended his hitting streak to four games. The Razorback has now reached base in 13 of the 14 Northwoods League games he’s played in this season, and also stole a base in the loss.
Rochester will travel to Franklin Rogers Park for a contest against the MoonDogs on Friday before returning to Mayo Field to face the Bucks again on Saturday night. First pitch from “The Frank” will be at 6:35, with Honkers Pregame Live presented by Rochester Toyota hitting the airwaves at 6:30 to get you set for all the action.
Be sure to connect with the Honkers on social media by liking them on Facebook and following them on twitter @RochHonkers and Instagram @HonkersBaseball. Join the conversation by using the hashtag #UnlockTheFlock!
by Jordan Lank // Jordan Lank is in his first season as Director of Media Relations for the Rochester Honkers.
