June 16, 2024
ST. CLOUD, MN — The St. Cloud Rox (8-10) topped the Mankato MoonDogs (10-8) by an 11-4 score on Sunday, June 16. The Rox are now averaging an impressive 8.5 runs per game in eight contests at home this season.
St. Cloud scored 11 unanswered runs to defeat the MoonDogs, and that scoring streak started in the bottom of the first. Tyler Bishop (University of Nebraska Omaha) tagged a run-scoring triple on the first pitch he saw and later came in to score on an error. Three innings later, Jake Perry (University of Minnesota) smashed his first home run of the season, a solo shot to right field. Two walks would then set up Andrew Savage (Pepperdine University) to tie the score at 4-4 on a sacrifice fly.
The Rox continued to punish the Mankato bullpen with three runs in both the fifth and sixth innings. Ben Higdon (University of Kentucky), who went 3-for-4 on the afternoon, delivered the tiebreaking hit in the fifth. His two-strike, two-out double to left-center scored three runs, giving the Rox a 7-4 lead they would not relinquish. In fact, they would add on with a Bishop double and a Perry two-run long ball in the sixth. With the round-tripper, Perry became the first Rox hitter with a two-home run game this summer. Another Rox run came home in the eighth, as Carter Hanson (University of Massachusetts) singled home Sawyer Smith (University of Kansas), who posted three hits on the day.
While the offense sizzled, Rox pitching finished the game with eight consecutive scoreless innings. Brigden Parker (University of Kansas) earned the win by firing off four shutout innings with five strikeouts and lowering his season earned run average to 2.45. He passed the baton to Brandon Jaenke (Viterbo University), who dwindled his ERA to 0.77 with a scoreless eighth inning. Candon Dahle (Brigham Young University) punched out two to close out the game, minimizing his ERA to 1.42. As a team, the Rox struck out 11 while going down on strikes only twice at the plate.
Today’s All-Star Trophy and Awards Star of the Game is Jake Perry!
The Rox will take a day off on Monday before hitting the road for a six-game trip to Bismarck and Willmar. The stretch begins with a 6:35 p.m. game on Tuesday, June 18 ahead of a 9:05-6:35 doubleheader on Wednesday. Rox baseball will return to St. Cloud on Sunday, June 23 for another game against the MoonDogs, presented by Coborn’s. It’ll be a Coborn’s Kids Day, which means kids will have the opportunity to run the bases and get autographs on the field after the game. For a complete game & promotional schedule, ticket information, and everything Rox, please visit www.stcloudrox.com!
The 2024 season is presented by Morrie’s Auto Group.
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