After a 14-5 loss last night, the Rochester Honkers (4-2) capped off their five game homestand with a complete performance in a five-run victory vs the La Crosse Loggers (3-4).
Once again, Rochester was buoyed by a strong start from their starter – tonight it was Daniel Zang (2-0) (Dakota County Technical College). The righty went 5+ innings without allowing a run, despite serving up six walks. Zang allowed the lead-off runner to reach in the first four innings but was consistently able to masterfully work himself out of trouble.
Rochester was held scoreless through the first two innings but woke up in short order, scoring at least one run in four of the final six innings. The Honkers were led by lead-off hitter Chase Spencer (Air Force). The center fielder continued to swing a hot stick as he went 3-5 with 3 RBI’s.
Spencer’s two-RBI triple in the third inning got the offense activated and the home side would not look back the rest of the way. He recorded an RBI single in the 4th inning as well, and Rochester continued to accumulate runs as the beautiful night in Minnesota wore on.
Newcomer Paul Schoenfeld (Colorado Mesa) recorded two RBI’s in his Honkers debut while Marco Castillo (Georgetown) had three hits.
Two-way player Jakob Guardado (Pasadena City College) recorded the three inning save for the Honkers in his first appearance on the mound, allowing just one base runner in each inning of work. Dylan Tostrup (USC) pitched the sixth inning in relief.
Rochester will return to the road and travel across state lines to La Crosse, WI tomorrow. The scheduled time for first pitch is 6:35 p.m.
The Rochester Honkers began their 30th season of play on May 29th. Keep up with the team on social media by following them on Twitter (@RochHonkers) and Instagram (@honkersbaseball) and like the Honkers on Facebook at Rochester Honkers Baseball Club. Interact on social by using the hashtag #FunForTheWholeFlock!
The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Now in its’ 30th season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 24 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, over 310 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time All-Star and 2016 Roberto Clemente Award winner Curtis Granderson, three-time Cy Young Award winner and World Series Champion Max Scherzer (NYM), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and World Series Champion Chris Sale (BOS). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and 2019/2021 Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and 2021 All-Star, MLB Gold Glove winner and 2019 Second Team All-MLB shortstop Marcus Semien (TEX). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website at watchnwl.com and on ESPN+. For more information, visit www.northwoodsleague.com or download the Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play.
