(Rochester, Minn.) – The Rochester Honkers (10-11) snapped a six-game home winning streak in a 9-1 loss Tuesday night against the Willmar Stingers (11-10). The Stingers’ pitching staff took a combined no-hitter into the seventh inning. Zach Zubia (Texas) homered for the Honkers’ only hit and run of the game. He extended his on-base streak to a league-lead 21 games.
Polo Portela (Sacramento City) pitched six no-hit innings tonight to earn the win (3-1) for the Stingers. He struck out seven batters with two walks. Portela has yet to give up an earned run in 21.0 innings this season.
The first three Stinger batters of the game reached on singles, loading the bases with no outs. A fielder’s choice by Nolan Bumstead (Cal. State Northridge) scored Brady Shockey (USC) from third base. Rob Emery (San Francisco) followed with a sacrifice fly to right field to give the Stingers a 2-0 lead in the first inning.
Honkers’ starting pitcher Ryan Thompson (Illinois) pitched only one inning. He threw with only two day’s rest after his last start against the Bucks Saturday that was rained out in the third inning.
Zach Zubia (Texas) came close to ending the no-hitter early in the game. He led off the second inning with a deep fly ball to center field. The Stingers’ centerfielder Marcus Still (New Mexico State) ran back and made a diving catch to keep the no-hitter alive.
Spencer Johnson (Wayne State) relieved Thompson to start the second inning. The Stingers scored four runs off Johnson in his three innings of work. With the Stingers leading 4-0 in the fourth inning, a dropped third strike with one out opened the door to two Willmar runs on four consecutive singles.
Weston Hatten (Nevada) entered the in the game to pitch for the Honkers in the fifth inning. After giving up two runs in his first inning of work, Hatten pitched three scoreless innings. He struck out one batter with a walk.
The Stingers went to their bullpen to start the bottom of the seventh inning. Zach Zubia (Texas) ended the no-hitter with a one-out solo home run to right field to give the Honkers their only run and hit of the game.
Josh Bissonette (Baylor) went 6-for-6 at the plate for the Stingers. He drove in two runs and scored on himself.
The Honkers head back on the road to take on the Eau Claire Express. The first of a two-game series starts Wednesday night at 6:35 pm. Chia-Ching Ho (National Taiwan Sports University) is scheduled to start on the mound for the Honkers tomorrow. Ho is 0-0 this season with a 4.50 ERA.
After two games in Eau Claire, the Honkers will return home to face the Express on Friday, June 23rd. It will be Advanced Financial Consultants Night at the ballpark. Bolder Options will be hosting a 50/50 raffle. It will also be a Safe Ride Friday, presented by Yellow Cab of Rochester. First pitch Friday night is 7:05 p.m. Gates open at 6:00 p.m.
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The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. The 23-year old summer collegiate 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, more than 160 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including two-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champion Ben Zobrist (CHC) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (BOS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET), Curtis Granderson (NYM) and Lucas Duda (NYM). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website. For more information, visit www.northwoodsleague.com or download the Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play.
