(Rochester, Minn.)—The Rochester Honkers fell 10-5 at Mankato tonight after holding a 5-0 lead in the third inning. Samuel Myers (Central Arizona College) picked up the win for the MoonDogs, registering four strikeouts in 2.2 scoreless innings. Spencer Greer (Dixie State) was given the loss after surrendering five runs on three hits in 1.1 innings. The loss knocks the Honkers to 5-2 on the season while the MoonDogs improve to 3-5.
In the top of the second, with two outs and two men on, Rochester’s Dakota Larson (RCTC) lifted the a full count pitch from Reece Eddins (Nebraska) over the wall for his first home run of the season. William Paschal (Georgia Gwinnett) scored on an infield error to make it a four-run inning for the Honkers. Joe DeRoche-Duffin (UCONN) sent a solo blast over the fence for his second long ball of the year to make it 5-0, but that was all the offense the Honkers could muster.
Mankato piled on three runs in the third, as well as one each in the fifth and sixth innings to make it a 5-all tie before a five run barrage against Greer in the seventh. A scoreless eighth and top of the ninth left the final score at 10-5.
The Honkers and MoonDogs play again tomorrow in Rochester. Two seven-inning double headers will be played to make up their postponed season opener. The first game will start at 5:05, and the second will begin 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first. It will be Think Mutual Bank Night, and a Fireworks Extravaganza will follow the second game.
You can follow all the Honkers' action on Sports Radio AM 1520 The Ticket with Clinton Cole, and on the Northwoods League Live stream, which can be found at northwoodsleague.com.
The Rochester Honkers are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Playing its 22nd season of summer collegiate baseball in 2015, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 18 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, more than 120 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (WAS), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Lucas Duda (NYM) and Ben Zobrist (OAK). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League Website. For more information, visit www.rochesterhonkers.com
