St. Cloud, Minn. – After moving into a tie for first place in the division on Tuesday night, the St. Cloud Rox went into Wednesday’s game looking to make a statement and take sole possession of the best record of the lead.

That statement was made in front of a sellout crowd of 2,355 fans, as the Rox (15-6) beat the Waterloo Bucks (14-7) by a final score of 16-7 giving them the best record in the Northwoods League.

The offense got going early once again for the Rox, plating three runs off of home runs from Denis Karas (Cal Berkeley) and Brandon Benson (Georgia College and State University). Both players hit their second home runs of the season. Both players hit their home runs in the same games, with the first for each player coming on Sunday against Duluth.

The Rox put six on the board in the third, getting two-run hits from Drew Freedman (Wake Forest), Benson, and Ricky Ramirez (McNeese State). Those runs came on only four hits, but the Rox got three free passes, drawing two walks and a hit by pitch.

After giving up three runs in the top half of the fourth, the Rox put another six-spot on the board in the home half of the inning. A Luke Ringhofer (South Dakota State) double and Mason Mamarella (Kent State) single brought home the first run of the inning. Three batters later Webb Bobo (Southeastern Louisiana) drew a bases loaded walk, bringing home another run.

The Rox top of the order would be responsible for the other four runs in the fourth, as TJ Friedl (Nevada) hit a two-run double and Ramirez hit a two-run single.

Waterloo would chip away the rest of the game, scoring runs in the sixth, eighth, and ninth, but the early deficit was too much for the Bucks to overcome.

Austin Caspersen (St. Cloud State) came on in relief to pitch 3.0 innings allowing just one run while striking out four and earning the win for the Rox.

The win puts the Rox alone at the top of the standings in the North division, and the Northwoods League overall. With only 14 games remaining in the first half of the season, the Rox are now primed to return to the postseason for the second straight season.

The Rox will now travel to La Crosse for a two-game series with the Loggers. The next game at Joe Faber Field will be next Monday, as the Wilmar Stingers come into town. Monday’s game will feature a Rox umbrella giveaway presented by Wells Fargo for the first 300 fans.

Tonight’s game one St. Cloud Times Player of the Game was Brandon Benson, who hit a home-run and a two-run double for the Rox.. 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.

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