Rochester, Minn. — The Rochester Honkers exploded for 15 runs on 18 hits Tuesday night, defeating the Waterloo Bucks 15-8 in the opening game of the series at Mayo Field.
It was Diego Johnson who earned the start in his first appearance with the Honkers.
Waterloo wasted little time getting on the board. Collin Brightwell led off the game with a base hit and quickly showed off his speed, stealing both second and third despite two strong throws from Rochester catcher Cooper Kruk. The Bucks capitalized to take an early 1-0 lead.
The Honkers answered in the bottom of the second. Ezekiel Mendoza opened the inning with a single before being erased on a fielder’s choice, allowing Ryan Drumm to reach base. With Drumm aboard, Matt Maize lined an RBI single into the outfield to even the game at one.
Johnson’s night came to an end after the second inning, and Rochester wasted no time taking the lead. Seth Thompson launched a solo home run over the left-field wall to put the Honkers in front 2-1.
Thompson spoke after the game about what he was looking for at the plate.
> “I was looking for a fastball, got my pitch and put a good swing on it.”
Gavin Simurdiak took over on the mound and immediately settled the game down, retiring Waterloo hitters and giving the Honkers an opportunity to create some separation.
That opportunity came in the bottom of the fifth.
After the first two batters were retired, Cooper Kruk worked a walk to keep the inning alive. Ezekiel Mendoza followed with a single before Ryan Drumm ripped an RBI double. Ryan Muenkel drew one of his four walks on the night, and Anthony Pulinski added an RBI single to turn the lineup over. Rochester kept the two-out rally alive with four more consecutive hits, sending eight runs across the plate to blow the game open.
Simurdiak continued to cruise in the sixth, inducing a double play and recording another strikeout to finish off another scoreless inning and complete a dominant relief appearance.
The Honkers added to their lead in the bottom of the sixth as four more base hits—once again sparked by the bottom of the lineup—produced three additional runs, extending Rochester’s advantage to 13-1.
Waterloo finally broke through with a run in the seventh, but the biggest threat came in the eighth inning.
Shamus Gallo ran into trouble, issuing four walks while also allowing a hit batter and a base hit. An error behind him prolonged the inning, and although none of the runs charged to Gallo were earned, the Bucks scored seven runs over the seventh and eighth innings to cut into the deficit.
Any hopes of a comeback were quickly erased in the bottom of the eighth when Seth Thompson crushed his second solo home run of the night deep over the right-field wall, putting an exclamation point on Rochester’s offensive performance.
Following the victory, field manager Jason Jacome emphasized the importance of continuing to fight down the stretch.
> “Just push through it,” Jacome said. “You know, try and do all we can and try to get back in the race if we can.”
The Honkers improved with a convincing 15-8 victory over the Bucks and will look to secure the series when the two teams meet again Wednesday night. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. at Mayo Field.
####
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. Now in its’ 32nd 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, 360 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 two-time World Series Champion Max Scherzer (TOR), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford and World Series Champion and Cy Young Award winner Chris Sale (ATL). 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. League games are viewable live at watchnwl.com and on ESPN+. 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.
