Alexandria, MN – The St. Cloud Rox flexed their muscles Thursday night, going deep five times in an 18-6 win over the Blue Anchors of Alexandria. Chris Paul had a pair of home runs and round trippers from Clay Ardeeser, Garrett McMullen and Mitchell Kranson added to the offensive explosion, as the Rox remained perfect away from Joe Faber Field to start 2014. In addition to his two homers, Paul finished a triple short of the cycle, adding a single in the second and a double in the third and driving in a run with each base hit.

St. Cloud (7-3) got out to an early 1-0 lead after Paul hit a solo home run in the top of the first. They added seven more runs in their half of the second inning on a rally that saw the first six hitters reach base as McMullen led off the inning with a homer, the Rox second in as many innings. Liam Bedford was then hit by Blue Anchors starter Cole Volkers (0-2) and was driven in on a RBI triple by Danny Baer into the right field corner. Charles Galiano laced a double that scored Baer, followed by base-hits from Bradley Strong and Paul, the latter of which scored Galiano from third, giving Paul his second RBI of the night. He finished the night 4-for-6 with five runs batted in and scoring four of his own, earning his second Northwoods League Player of the Night honors in three days.

The Rox also added runs in the second on a Will Craig single and a sacrifice fly from Kranson, leaving the score 8-0 in their favor after just an inning and a half. They would add four more in the next inning, as Paul doubled in Bedford who led off the inning with a walk, moving Galiano to third who also reached on a base-on-balls. Ardeeser then crushed his three-run shot to right center, bringing the score to 12-0. St. Cloud finished with the night with 18 runs and 18 hits, season highs in each category.

Nick McCarty (1-0) put in a highly overshadowed performance in the starting pitcher role tonight as he allowed just one run while scattering eight Alexandria hits over 6.2 innings, striking out five Blue Anchors batters in the process. Daniel Martinez got the last out of the seventh and struck out two in the eighth while allowing one hit and walking one. Patrick Van Daalwyk threw in the ninth, giving up three runs on three hits to end the game in St. Cloud’s favor.

Every Rox batter had at least one hit tonight, including Kyle Thornell, who pinch-hit for Will Craig in the ninth inning, with eight of the team’s 14 hits being for extra bases.

The Rox now head back to St. Cloud a three-game home stand over the weekend, taking on the Thunder Bay Border Cats for two games and finishing the weekend with another contest with Alexandria. Tonight’s game will feature a postgame firework display, put on by IRET Properties. Saturday’s matchup is Piggy Bank Giveaway and Quarter Drop Night, presented by Great River Federal Credit Union, and the first 300 kids 12-and-under who receive a piggy bank will have a chance to pick up 1,500 quarters after the game. The weekend finishes Sunday with Pink in the Park Day, as the Rox will wear special pink jerseys that will be auctioned off after the game with proceeds going to the American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, presented by the Center For Diagnostic Imaging.

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