St. Cloud, Minn. – In front of a sellout crowd of 2174 fans at Joe Faber Field, the St. Cloud Rox won their Northwoods League best 21^st game of the season, topping the La Crosse Loggers by a final score of 5-4.

The game got off to a rough start for the Rox, as starting pitcher Matt Shannon (Angelo State) was tagged for a run in the first inning on a sacrifice fly. Shannon would allow two more runs in the fourth inning, allowing the Loggers to increase their lead to 3-0.

The St. Cloud bats would come alive in the bottom of the fourth however, gaining the lead by scoring four runs. Michael Strem (Boston College) started the rally by reaching base on a one-out error. Denis Karas (Cal Berkeley) would follow by hitting a double to the gap that allowed Strem to score from first.

Mason Mamarella (Kent State) picked up a single after Karas, and back-to-back walks from Brett Pope (Western Carolina) and Bhret Bewley (University of San Diego) brought home another run. Marcus Carson (Kentucky) drove in the third run of the inning with a fielder’s choice, then Ricky Ramirez (McNeese State) blooped a single over the third basemen bringing home the fourth run of the inning.

The Rox would add another run in the sixth inning on back-to-back hits from Carson, who doubled, and Ramirez, who singled to bring him home.

Chris Martin (Kent State) took over on the mound for the Rox in the fifth and worked three innings allowing only one run on a solo home run in the seventh. Martin would strike out two batters and earn his first win of the season.

Brian Glowicki (Minnesota) made his return to the Rock Pile and had a great outing. The returning pitcher made his season debut for the Rox and threw two innings, striking out three batters while not allowing a hit and earning the save.

A loss by the Eau Claire Express extends the Rox lead in the north division, with St. Cloud ahead of the Waterloo Bucks by one game with five days remaining in the first half of the season.

Tonight’s game one St. Cloud Times Player of the Game was Ricky Ramirez because of his two RBI night. 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