ROCHESTER, MINN – The Rochester Honkers came back from an eight run deficit to defeat the St. Cloud Rox 13-11 in a thriller on Thursday afternoon at Mayo Field.
This game started terribly for Rochester. The Rox scored nine runs in the first two innings, eight in the second, to take a 9-1 lead. John Nett (St. Cloud State) started the scoring in the first with a solo home run, his second of the season. Rochester quickly tied it on a Will Asby (Sacramento City) RBI ground out but St. Cloud took complete control afterwards. O’Neil Burgos (Southern) hit an RBI single. Two batters later Magnum Hofstetter (Southern Idaho) added two more with a two run single. With the Rox leading 6-1 and the bases loaded with two outs Trevor Austin (Mercer) smacked a three run double into left center field, capping off an eight run inning for the Rox.
The Honkers, like they always do, worked their way back. Behind 9-2 in the fifth they put up a four spot to cut the deficit to three. The two big hits were a Will Asby RBI single and two batters later Kevin Dowdell (West Virginia) smacked a two run double to right center to cap off the inning. St. Cloud respond with a run in the sixth on a sac fly off the bat of Brady Prewitt (Colorado State Pueblo) but the Honkers grabbed three more runs in the seventh. Once again, Kevin Dowdell came through. He hit a bolt to left center field that cleared the wall for a three run home run, making it a 10-9 game. Dowdell had a huge game, driving in five runs with two extra base hits.
Madness ensued in the ninth. The Rox added an insurance run on an infield single off the bat of O’Neil Burgos, his second RBI single of the game. With the Rochester behind 11-9 they came to bat in the ninth. After Tyler White (Long Beach State) was retired four straight Honkers reached. Alex Ritzer (UNC) singled, Theo Hardy (San Jose State) and Alex Pimentel (Long Beach State) walked. It set up Michael Carico (Davidson) with the bases loaded. The stud catcher lifted a high fly ball that cleared the left field wall for a walk off grand slam.
The Honkers comeback from an eight run deficit to defeat the Rox 13-11. Rochester improves to 6-10 this season. They will look for the double header sweep over the Rox at 6:35 p.m. tonight with AJ Campbell (Frostburg State) making his third start of the season.
