Honkers Mash Three Home Runs, Win 6-4 on Father's Day
June 18, 2023 - Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Rochester Honkers News Release
The Rochester Honkers (12-8) got back on track on a Sunday afternoon at Mayo Field as they used a trio of home runs to power past the Minot Hot Tots (4-14) and snap a three game losing streak.
The victory, which snapped a bigger skid of six losses in seven games, solidifies their hold of sole possession of first place in the Great Plains East.
Rochester, playing in front of a boisterous crowd on 'Pawther's Day', got off to a quick start in the bottom of the first inning. Paul Schoenfeld (Colorado Mesa) crushed a lead-off home run, his first of the season. A handful of batters later, Petey Craska (Georgia Tech) clobbered an inside fastball hit his first homer of the year to put Rochester up 4-0 six batters into the game.
Minot starter Gage Yost (Minot State) lasted just one inning, surrendering the four runs on three hits. Yost threw over 35 pitches in the first inning, making him ineligible to return in the second frame.
The Honkers would add another run in the fourth inning on a throwing error from Hot Tots reliever Saul Soto (New Mexico State).
The Flock's starter, Matt Brock (San Joaquin Delta College) (2-0) was nearly perfect through five innings, allowing just two hits and at one point retiring 13 consecutive opposing batters.
However, Minot responded in the visitors' half of the sixth. Devin Jones (Creighton) led-off the inning with a home run to left field. Shortly after, Karson Evans (Louisiana Tech) hit a three-run shot to make it a 5-4 game.
Corbin Barker (UC Riverside) relieved Brock and struck out the first two batters he faced. Making his first appearance of the summer, Barker did not allow a run in 1.2 innings pitched.
The Honkers picked up an insurance run in the bottom of the seventh inning on a solo home run by Kimo Fukofuka (San Jose State), his team-leading fifth long ball. No Honker hit five home runs in the entire 2022 season.
Drew Fifer (Indiana State) entered with two outs and the bases loaded in the eighth inning after Jacob Bosse (St. Ambrose) walked four batters, one of which was retired on a double play. Fifer got Travis Stapleton (Polk State) to pop up to third base, thwarting the threat.
Greyson Christian (Northeastern State) earned the save after Fifer left the game with one out and a 1-1 count in the ninth inning with an apparent injury.
With the Duluth Huskies defeating the Waterloo Bucks, Rochester held serve and stayed atop the division. Rochester welcomes the Eau Claire Express to Mayo Field on Mon., June 19, for the first game of a home and home series. Scheduled first pitch time is 6:35 p.m.
Northwoods League Stories from June 18, 2023
- Honkers Mash Three Home Runs, Win 6-4 on Father's Day - Rochester Honkers
- Rafters Can Not Rally the Comeback, Split the Series with Lakeshore - Wisconsin Rapids Rafters
- Kingfish Drop Father's Day Duel 9-5 - Kenosha Kingfish
- Express Drop 2nd Game in a Row to Border Cats - Eau Claire Express
- Chinooks Rally in the Ninth to Defeat Rafters - Lakeshore Chinooks
- Late Homerun Dooms MoonDogs in Loss to Stingers - Mankato MoonDogs
- Pit Spitters Get One Back on Rivets - Traverse City Pit Spitters
- Late Swansen Homer Completes Stinger Comeback, Squeak by MoonDogs 5-3 - Willmar Stingers
- Rox Pitching Staff Strikes out 16 Larks - St. Cloud Rox
- Huskies Sweep Waterloo on the Road - Duluth Huskies
- Battle Jacks Rise to the Occasion, Beat Green Bay 5-3 - Battle Creek Battle Jacks
- Dock Spiders Win Pitching Duel, Take Down Woodchucks 1-0 - Fond du Lac Dock Spiders
- Madison Doesn't Shy Away from Kalamazoo's Power, Sweeps Series - Madison Mallards
- Wausau Shut out by Fond du Lac 1-0 - Wausau Woodchucks
- Rockers Fall to Battle Jacks on the Road - Green Bay Rockers
- Rockers Look for Series Sweep against Battle Jacks - Green Bay Rockers
- Honkers Shut Out By Last Place Hot Tots - Rochester Honkers
- Dock Spiders Blow Up in Late Innings, Fall to Woodchucks 11-2 - Fond du Lac Dock Spiders
- Rockers Beat Battle Jacks 10-2, Hit Two Home Runs - Battle Creek Battle Jacks
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