Eau Claire, WI – St. Cloud (37-35) clinched another winning season Sunday afternoon, defeating Eau Claire 9-2 in the final game of the season. Ricardo Sanchez (Arkansas at Pine Bluff) and Hance Smith (California) played all nine positions in the win. The team combined for 12 hits in the victory.

Ryland Kerr (Eastern Kentucky), who registered another three-hit performance, hit a sac-fly to right field and scored Mikie Borst (Minot State) to claim a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning.

St. Cloud proceeded to score six runs in the fifth inning as they went through their lineup. Noah Hill (BYU) hit a double to score two runs and was followed by Kerr, who had an RBI double. Smith added a double of his own, scoring Kerr. Later in the inning, Sanchez hit another Rox double that brought home two runs. The team led 7-0 after that point.

Sean Ross (San Diego State) and Ben Carew (Kent State) each hit an RBI in the sixth inning for insurance runs. It would be the final time the Rox would score in the game.

Zach Lauzon (Concordia St. Paul) earned the win, throwing seven innings and striking out five batters. Sanchez and Smith tossed an inning each to finish the game.

The Rox conclude the 2018 Northwoods League season with an overall record of 37-35, finishing with a second half record of 21-15. For more information regarding the 2019 season at the Rock Pile, visit www.stcloudrox.com or call the Rox front office at 320-240-9798.

The St. Cloud Rox are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Now in its 25th anniversary season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 20 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, over 200 former Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist (CHC) and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (BOS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET) and Curtis Granderson (TOR).  All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League portal. For more information, visit www.stcloudrox.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Rox as your favorite team.

###