After trailing for the first four innings in the finale with Duluth, the Rochester bats woke up to secure a series split with an 8-5 win. Held without a hit until the fifth, the Honkers scored seven straight runs to earn the victory.
Rochester fell behind thanks to a three run first inning by Duluth, powered by three early base hits. The Honkers struck back for a run in the second, helped by an error and a Jack Collette (San Jose St) sacrifice fly to score Cam Laliberte. (Arizona) A Cason Tollett (Arkansas) single extended the Duluth lead back to three with an RBI single in the third.
Still searching for their first hit in the fifth, Rochester broke through in a big way. Jackson Forbes (San Jose St) ripped an RBI double into the right field corner to score Mac Horvath. (North Carolina) Cole Fontenelle, (Washington) followed suit with an extra base hit, an RBI triple. Ben North (Creighton) tied the ballgame with a sacrifice fly to right. The Fontenelle triple was the first for Rochester on the season and his third run batted in.
The Honkers took control with runs in three straight innings, grabbing the lead on a Mac Horvath sacrifice fly in the sixth. It was Horvath’s 11th batted in of the summer. Otto Grimm (Minnesota) drove home a run on a fielder’s choice in the seventh and Rochester tacked on two unearned runs in the eighth helped by Mac Horvath and Jason Swan (Georgia Southern) singles.
The Rochester bullpen was solid in nailing down a win, with Marcus Krupke, (Bethel) Brendan Medoro, (Fairleigh Dickinson) and Jay Thompson (Georgia Southern) combining to allow just one run over the games’ final six innings. Krupke earned the win with three shutout innings.
Rochester closes the first half at 15-17, returning home to Mayo Field tomorrow for a 6:35 first pitch.
By Nick DeLuca// Broadcasting and Media Relations Intern
