Back-To-Back Homers in the Ninth Complete Miraculous Rox Comeback
June 8, 2021 - Northwoods League (Northwoods)
St. Cloud Rox News Release
St. Cloud Rox at the plate
(St. Cloud Rox)
Rochester, MN - Trailing by two in the ninth, St. Cloud (3-4) scored three on consecutive home runs to steal a win from Rochester (4-5) on the road.
Justin Kirby (Kent State) was hit by a pitch to open up the final frame with the Rox down 7-5. Down to the last two outs to the night, Tyson Fisher (Dixie State) hit a towering flyball over the left-field fence to tie the game at seven. That was Fisher's third this season, tying him for second in the Northwoods League.
Just a few pitches later, Chris Esposito (Nebraska-Omaha) followed suit and blasted a solo shot out to left that put St. Cloud on top for the first time in the game.
Kevin Davis (USC Upstate) came on in the bottom of the ninth with a runner on first and finished off his second save of the season. Davis retired three of the four batters he faced and sealed the Rox third win of the summer.
The Rox trailed by five runs at two separate times in the game. Rochester led 5-0 after the third inning and St. Cloud was able to cut into the deficit thanks to Nate Stevens' (Johnson County CC) first home run of the year. His two-run home run hooked inside the right-field foul pole to get St. Cloud on the board.
After Rochester extended the lead back to 7-2, the Rox put up three in the seventh inning as the Honkers walked six St. Cloud batters. This cut the deficit to two runs, which the Rox would overcome for an incredible come-from-behind win.
Esposito sparked the Rox' batting today with a 3-for-4 game, including a double and his go-ahead home run. He's now hitting .368 on the season with an on-base percentage of .538 early in the season.
The Rox' pitching got five innings from Benny Roebuck (Kent State) whose six runs allowed were all unearned. From the bullpen, Zach Gagnon (Tarleton State) and Josh Gainer (Long Island-Brooklyn) combined for three strong innings. Gainer earned the win for his eighth inning as he struck out the side.
For a full box score from tonight's game, click here.
The Rox continue this two-game series with Rochester on Wednesday night from St. Cloud with first pitch at 7:05 pm. This game starts a seven-game homestand, with series against Duluth, Eau Claire and Waterloo coming up in the next week.
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 St. Cloud Rox at the plate |
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Northwoods League Stories from June 8, 2021
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