The Honkers started off the second half with a bang, beating Mankato 6-1.
Rochester fell behind in the first, but shut out the MoonDogs through the last eight innings. Dylan Tostrup pitched well, going six innings of one-run ball and striking out seven.
Josiah Granados came in for the final three innings, picking up the nine-out save. He faced just one more than the minimum.
The bats got hot in the middle innings when Dom Rod Rodriguez launched his first home run of the year to the opposite field to put the Honkers up 3-1. Later in the same inning, Andrew Cain sent a ball towards the apartment complex.
Rochester was back on the board in the sixth, plating a pair. One of them was driven in by Rodriguez, who now has 10 RBIs in three games against Mankato this year.
With this win, Rochester moves to 1-0 in the second half and 9-8 overall at home this year. Game two is tomorrow, the first pitch is at 5:05.
The Rochester Honkers are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Entering its’ 31st season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 26 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 350 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 (TEX), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford (STL) and World Series Champion Chris Sale (ATL). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and 2019/2021 Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and 2023 World Series Champion, 2021 and 2023 All-Star, MLB Gold Glove winner and two-time All-MLB first team shortstop Marcus Semien (TEX). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website. League games are viewable live at watchnwl.com and on ESPN+. For more information, visit northwoodsleague.com/rochester-honkers or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Honkers as your favorite team.
