(Rochester, Minn.) – With the game even at three after seven innings, the Rochester Honkers put up two runs in the eighth to help secure a 5-4 victory over the Thunder Bay Border Cats Sunday at Port Arthur Stadium. The Honkers snapped a three-game losing streak to move to 14-16 in the second half and 31-35 overall. The Border Cats fall to 8-22 and 21-45.
Thunder Bay was able to get on the board in the first. Gunner Hellstrom (Nebraska) hit a two-RBI single to give the Border Cats a 2-0 lead.
Rochester responded with a two run second inning. Logan Denholm (UC Davis) got the Honkers on the board by crushing a solo home run. For Denholm, it was his fourth of the year. Nate Webb (UC Riverside) tied the game up at two as he drove in a run with a single.
Matt Hardy (UC Riverside) gave Rochester a 3-2 lead in the seventh by driving in a run with a single.
The Border Cats immediately responded to tie the game up at three in the seventh as Dylan Caplinger (Northern Oklahoma Enid) drove in a run with a double.
The Honkers were able to get the lead back in the eighth. Austin Schell (Golden West) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to bring in a run and give the Honkers a 4-3 lead. Taylor Adams (Oregon) gave Rochester an insurance run by driving in a run with a sacrifice fly.
The Border Cats fought back in the eighth. Calen Schwabe (Des Moines Area CC) singled home a run to cut the Honkers lead to 5-4.
Honkers starting pitcher Nick Simak (Roosevelt) spun six innings and gave up two runs on four hits. Joshua Ibarra (Concordia Irvine) was rewarded with his second win out of the bullpen, Ibarra worked three innings and gave up two runs on three hits. Just one of the runs was earned.
Schell led the way for the Honkers on offense going 2-for-3 and driving in a run. Hardy and Grayson Bowman (Blue Mountain) each added two hits for the Rochester offense.
Thunder Bay relief pitcher Luke Malone (Texas A&M Corpus Christi) picked up his fifth loss of the summer. Malone worked 1 1/3 innings and surrendered three runs on five hits.
The Honkers are back at Mayo Field Monday to take on the Duluth Huskies. Hayden Shenefield (Cal State Northridge) is scheduled to start for the Huskies, Shenefield has posted a 3.16 ERA and a 4-1 record. The Honkers starting pitcher is to be determined. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.
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The Rochester Honkers are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Now in its 25th anniversary season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 20 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, 200 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist (CHC) and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (BOS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET) and Curtis Granderson (TOR). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League portal. For more information, visit www.rochesterhonkers.com 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.
