May 31, 2024
ST. CLOUD, MN — The St. Cloud Rox (2-3) dropped their home opener and series opener against the Duluth Huskies (3-2) by a 10-6 score on Friday, May 31st. A sellout crowd of 2,007 packed Joe Faber Field to watch the Rox embark on their 35-game home schedule.
Though the Rox fell behind the Huskies early on, they closed the gap on Duluth as the game progressed. St. Cloud’s bullpen covered eight innings, beginning with three frames from Ryan Rushing (Indiana University) that featured six strikeouts. Seth Benes (Indiana University) followed his college teammate with two innings and three punchouts. Kasey Crawford (University of Kansas), the strongest Rox pitcher of the night worked the final three frames, blanking the Huskies while walking none and striking out two.
In the third inning, the bottom third of St. Cloud’s order set the Rox offense in motion. Josh Katz (University of Georgia) tapped an infield single that scored Francesco Barbieri (Ave Maria University). The catcher would single again in the fifth for his first multi-hit game of the season. Before that, the Rox put together a two-out rally in the fourth, as Jake Perry (University of Minnesota) singled home Kade Lewis (Butler University) after the first baseman’s double. Perry’s 2-for-4 performance pushed his batting average to a team-high .412.
The Rox would activate another rally in the seventh inning. Will Henson (Ohio State University), who delivered two hits in his Rox debut, started the surge with a one-out single. He would come around to score along with Barbieri on a Duluth fielding error. As the St. Cloud lineup card flipped over, Sawyer Smith (St. Cloud State University) knocked a run-producing single into center field. The sixth and final Rox run of the night would touch home on a fielder’s choice from Jackson Hauge (University of Kansas).
Today’s All-Star Trophy and Awards Star of the Game is Kasey Crawford!
The Rox will play for a split of their series with Duluth at 6:05 p.m. on Saturday, June 1st, sponsored by North Risk Partners and Auto-Owners Insurance. A Rox-themed umbrella will be given away to the first 300 fans. 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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