Honkers Outslug Huskies, 13-12, in Wild Offensive Battle
Northwoods Rochester Honkers

Honkers Outslug Huskies, 13-12, in Wild Offensive Battle

Published on June 13, 2026 under Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Rochester Honkers News Release


ROCHESTER, MN - What began as a relatively quiet contest quickly turned into the highest-scoring game at Mayo Field this season. The Rochester Honkers survived a back-and-forth slugfest, defeating the Duluth Huskies 13-12 on Saturday night.

Payne Lochridge got the start for Rochester and tossed two scoreless innings to begin the game. Duluth eventually struck first in the third inning, using a hit-by-pitch, a single, and a double to take an early lead.

The Honkers wasted little time responding.

Back-to-back walks brought Sam Harry to the plate with nobody out in the bottom of the third. Harry jumped on a 2-2 pitch left over the heart of the plate and launched it the opposite way for a three-run home run. The blast sparked an offensive avalanche for Rochester.

Cameron Sewell followed with a solo shot, marking another game featuring back-to-back home runs from Harry and Sewell. The power surge continued when Nolan Ganter singled before Matt Maize crushed a two-run homer over the right-field wall, giving Rochester a commanding 7-2 advantage.

Harry, who continues to lead the Northwoods League in home runs, discussed his approach at the plate.

"Oh yeah, it's pretty crazy," Harry said. "I was just looking to protect with two strikes on me, try to hit something the other way and stay through it."

The Honkers' offensive explosion chased Huskies starter Cale Haugen from the game and forced Duluth into its bullpen early.

Rochester added to its lead later in the inning, capitalizing on a pair of hit-by-pitches, a single, and a double to push across three more runs.

While the Honkers built a sizable lead, the Huskies refused to go away. Trailing 9-2 entering the fifth inning, Duluth mounted a massive comeback effort.

Lochridge returned for the fifth but ran into trouble as the Huskies' bats came alive. Duluth erupted for six runs in the inning, trimming the deficit to just one run and completely shifting the momentum.

Rochester turned to its bullpen, with Trent Adrian unable to escape the fifth before Franco Moran came on to stop the rally.

The Honkers answered immediately in the bottom half of the inning, scoring four runs to regain control and extend their lead to 13-8. Those would prove to be Rochester's final runs of the night.

Duluth continued to battle. With Rochester leading 13-8 entering the seventh, the Huskies plated three runs to make it a two-run game and increase the pressure on the Honkers' pitching staff.

Andres Castro entered in the eighth inning and allowed one run but prevented Duluth from pulling even. He returned for the ninth and recorded the final outs to secure the victory.

Honkers manager Jason Jácome praised Castro's ability to attack hitters in a high-pressure situation.

"He's just somebody we need to come out there and throw strikes, and he's a strike thrower," Jácome said. "That's what you need out of bullpen guys-guys who can come in, throw strikes, and get outs. He's been able to do that in his two outings, and that's what we're looking for."

Both teams used five pitchers in a game that featured 25 combined runs and plenty of offensive fireworks. In the end, Rochester's bullpen did just enough to preserve the win.

The victory moves the Honkers above .500 at 9-8 on the season. Rochester will look to complete the series sweep against Duluth on Sunday with first pitch scheduled for 5:05 p.m.

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Northwoods League Stories from June 13, 2026


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