Despite scoring in four straight innings to cut the deficit to one, Rochester could not overcome a slow start in an 8-5 series-opening loss to Eau Claire. The Honkers were able to push to tying run into scoring position but ultimately fell a hit shy of completing the comeback.

A surging Eau Claire offense continued its hot hitting in a four-run first inning. Eddie Park (Stanford) and Alejandro Macario (Nova Southeastern) delivered run-scoring hits to allow the Express to open up an early lead. Eau Claire tacked on a run in the second on a wild pitch.
After being held down in the first four innings, the Honkers broke through for a run in the fifth, Benjamin Rosengard (Rice) led off with a single and scored on a Mike Bolton Jr (Purdue) sacrifice fly. The run in the fifth began a stretch of four-straight innings with a run for Rochester.

In the sixth, Benjamin Rosengard worked a bases-loaded walk to plate Mac Horvath (North Carolina) who led off with a single. It was Rosengard’s sixth RBI on the summer.

Rochester tacked on a run in the seventh when Ben North (Creighton) scored on a wild pitch.

The Honkers came within a run of tying the score in the eighth, Mike Bolton Jr picked up a fourth extra-base hit in his last four starts with an RBI triple. The freshman finished the night driving in two of the five Rochester runs. Hank Bard (McLennan) brought Bolton home with an RBI single, his fourth of the year. The Honkers could not capitalize with Bard advancing into scoring position on a stolen base, stranding the tying run in scoring position.

Eau Claire found some breathing room in the eight, scoring twice to lengthen their lead back to three.

Rochester falls to 20-24 and 5-7 in the second half. They look for a series split tomorrow in the final game before the All-Star break at 2:05 from Carson Park.

By Nick DeLuca//Broadcasting and Media Relations Intern