It was a Great Plains East Rivalry matchup for a doubleheader as the Rochester Honkers (22-21, 4-5) took on the Duluth Huskies (22-19, 6-3) for some Wednesday afternoon baseball. Duluth rallied late in the game and took the victory by a score of 10-5.
The game was delayed two hours due to rain and poor playing conditions, and the Honkers started the scoring immediately. Paul Schoenfeld (Colorado Mesa) walked to lead off the bottom of the first, and Dario Gomez (Miami (FL)) singled him over.
After a double steal, Nico Regino (Cal St. Fullerton) hit a deep sacrifice fly that allowed Schoenfeld to score. The Honkers took the early advantage.
Duluth tied the game in the third and took the lead in the fourth, but it wouldn’t be for long. Ben North (Creighton) reached on an infield single, went to second base on a throwing error, and headed to third on a groundout. A wild pitch brought him home and tied the game 2-2.
Rochester took the lead in the fifth as Tyler White (Sacramento State) singled, stole two bases, and scored on Regino’s double down the left-field line. The Flock picked up another run in the seventh and headed into the eighth, leading 4-2.
Rochester fell apart in the top of the eighth as the first six batters reached base. Duluth scored eight runs in the eighth inning, highlighted by a towering grand slam home run by Brylan West (Florida International), which gave the Huskies a 10-4 lead.
The Honkers would get one run in the ninth, but it wasn’t enough to come all the way back. The Honkers play game two of the doubleheader at 6:35 pm.
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.
