A four-run eighth and a pair of home runs were not quite enough for the Honkers in an 8-6 loss to the Mankato Moondogs. Rochester notched four hits in the final two innings.

The Honkers opened the scoring in the series opener, with Mac Horvath (North Carolina) working a walk and coming around to score on a wild pitch.

The lead would hold only until the third, Kole Kayler (Hawaii) delivered an RBI single to knot the score at one. The Mankato offense scored three times in the fourth, an Austin Garrett (Kansas St) three-run homer to left proved to be a big blow for the Moondogs.

Rochester answered back in the top of the fifth, Zach Cole (Ball State) hit a laser to right of the center field batter’s eye to cut the deficit to two, it was the first Honkers hit of the ballgame.

Mankato came right back with another three-run inning in the bottom half, Matthew Higgins (Bellarmine) extended the lead with a two-RBI single as part of a four-hit night and an Andres Torres (Grand Canyon) groundout added another run. Mankato sent nine hitters to the plate in the frame, tallying six runs in the fourth and fifth innings.

The Honkers trailed by six after seven but closed the gap with a big eighth inning. An Alex Pimentel (Long Beach St) leadoff walk, and Jack Fontenelle (San Jose St) single put runners at the corners. Jackson Forbes (San Jose St) lifted an RBI double off the right field wall, followed a Zack Raabe (Minnesota) three-run homer to bring Rochester within two.

A Seth Betts (Crown College) pinch-hit single brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth, but the Honkers could not inch any closer.

With the loss, Rochester falls to 5-10. Game 2 of the series with Mankato is tomorrow, first pitch is scheduled for 5:05.

By Nick DeLuca// Broadcasting and Media Relations Intern