Eau Claire, WI – The Rox (5-5) outhit the Express 5-0 in the last three innings of the game in the 9-3 loss to Eau Claire (6-4) at Carson Park on Thursday night. Despite the loss, the Rox were only eventually outhit in the game 9 to 8. This ends the five-game winning streak for St. Cloud.

For just the second time this season, the Rox did not start with the lead. Eau Claire scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning. The first six batters reached base in the frame for the Express and this included Tyler Jones (Air Force) who cracked an RBI double.

Quinten Sefcik (Illinois) started for St. Cloud and only lasted two innings. He walked three batters in the second inning, which proved to be his last inning of duty. The Rox used three arms out of the bullpen and one of them was Robbie Palkert (Nebraska) who made his debut with the team (2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 2 K).

Trevor Putzig (Tennessee Tech) blasted his first home run of the season to left field in the 7^th inning. That scored two runs to shrink the deficit to 8-2 at the time. In the 8^th inning, Denis Karas (California) produced a sacrifice fly to drive in St. Cloud’s third run of the game.

Sefick was tagged with the loss and Eau Claire RHP starter Aaron Shortridge earned the victory as he logged 7 innings on the mound.

After spending eight of the first ten games away from home, the Rox return home Friday night and face the Rochester Honkers at 7:05 p.m. The Rox Solid Pregame Warmup starts at 6:35 p.m. RHP Matt Shannon (Angelo State) makes his Rox debut on the mound as the starter.

Tonight’s game one St. Cloud Times Player of the Game was Jake Trevor Putzig who hit his first home run of the season tonight. For more coverage of the Rox during the 2016 season visit www.sctimes.com.

For more stats and information about the game, here is the boxscore:

http://northwoods.bbstats.pointstreak.com/boxscore.html?gameid=316694

Single game 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 23rd season of summer collegiate baseball, 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 150 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 (DET), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Lucas Duda (NYM) and Ben Zobrist (CHC). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League portal. For more information, visit www.stcloudrox.com