Kenosha,WI

Playing in the Summer Collegiate World Series for the first time in team history, the St. Cloud Rox ended up on the wrong end of a 6-4 game on Thursday night.

The Kingfish struck first, as they led 5-0 after 3 innings at a packed Simmons Field. St. Cloud got things going in the 4th when Liam Bedford (Doane College) scored on a Webb Bobo (SE Louisiana) RBI double to left center field.

Brett DeGagne (North Dakota) was brilliant in keeping the Rox in the game, as he pitched three innings of three hit one run baseball. Collin Strall (LSU) was also superb, as he went 4 2/3 innings allowing just one run. Strall worked a 1-2-3 double play to escape a bases loaded jam.

As the Rox have done throughout the course of the entire season, they continued to fight until the very last out. Trailing 6-1 entering the top of the 8th, the Rox would score 3 8th inning runs to cut the deficit to just four. John Sansone (Florida St.) brought in two runs with a single, and ended the game 2-5 with 2 RBI's.

The Rox would put the tying run on first in the top of the 9th trailing 6-4, but they were unable to get a run across and fell short in game number one of the Summer Collegiate World Series by a final score of 6-4.

St. Cloud will return home tomorrow night for game number two of the SCWS. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM.

2015 Summer Collegiate World Series tickets can be purchased 24 hours a day at www.stcloudrox.com, by calling (320) 240-9798 or by visiting the Rox ticket office located at the Municipal Athletic Complex.

 

The St. Cloud Rox are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Playing its 22^nd season of summer collegiate baseball in 2015, the Northwoods League is the largest summer collegiate 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 (KC). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League Website.  For more information, visit www.stcloudrox.com.