Mayo Field in Rochester, Minnesota home to the double header between the Rochester Honkers and Thunder Bay Border Cats.
The Thunder Bay Border Cats earned a split with the Rochester Honkers in a two-game doubleheader at Mayo Field in Minnesota. The Honkers took the opener by a 3-1 count in a game in which both pitchers went the distance. Thunder Bay responded in game two by taking a lead and never relinquishing it, winning 6-3.
Game one saw Border Cats Starting Pitcher Charles Thielmann (Kean University) drop (2-4) a pitching duel to Rochester Starter Spencer Greer (5-1). Thielmann went six innings striking out five, allowing six hits and three runs in a tough decision. Greer allowed a run in the 1st inning as his only blemish, going seven solid giving up four hits and walking three with a pair of strikeouts.
Justin Smith managed a 2-3 night out of the cleanup spot for the Honkers with a run scored. Ryne Roper, Jeff Campbell and Alex Schultz drove in runs in the 2nd, 4th and 5th consecutively to pace the offense.
Thunder Bay opened the scoring on a RBI single by Nick Studer (Doane College) in the 1st inning to score Jacob Robson (Mississippi State). Sal Taormina (Kean University) was the only other Border Cat to get a hit off of Greer as he went 3-3 with a double.
In game two, the top and bottom of the Border Cat lineup paved the road to victory. Columbia University teammates Jordan Serena and Robb Paller went 2-4 in the one and three spots while Robson was 0-1 with a pair of walks. Serena drove in two RBI's, hit a double, stole a base and scored once. Robson also stole a base and scored twice. Paller had a double with three driven in. The 8 and 9 hitters set the table for the top of the order. Adam Collins (Central Michigan) and Ty Blankmeyer (St. John's) each had two-hit games. Collins counted twice while Blankmeyer scored once.
The Honkers had five hits in game two with Schultz, Reid Roper and Blaise Lezynski all collecting an RBI.
Devin McLemore (Winston Salem State) is pitching well and game two was no exception. McLemore took the win in relief (4-3) pitching 3 1/3 innings allowing one run on two hits with three walks and three strikeouts. Paul Murphy (Milwaukee Area Tech College) made his first start of the summer going 3 2/3 innings surrendering two runs on three hits with three walks and a pair of strikeouts.
Murphy was not the only debut Starter as the Honkers sent Eli Egger to the mound make his first appearance. He took the loss (0-1) going five innings giving up three runs on six hits with three walks and a strikeout.
The Border Cats and Honkers will finish up the series on Sunday night at Mayo Field with first pitch scheduled for 6:05 EDT/5:05 CST.
