Honkers Soar Past Larks, 4-1
Published on June 12, 2026 under Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Rochester Honkers News Release
ROCHESTER, Minn. - After dropping the previous two meetings against Bismarck on walk-off hits, the Rochester Honkers responded with a complete performance Wednesday night, defeating the Bismarck Larks 4-1 at Mayo Field.
Cooper Annin made his third appearance on the mound for Rochester. Entering the game with a 0.90 ERA through 10 innings pitched, the right-hander continued his dominant start to the season.
After working around traffic early with the help of a pair of double plays, Annin settled into a rhythm and gave the Honkers offense a chance to take control. Rochester struck first in the second inning when Robert Orr connected on a solo home run over the left-field wall to give the Honkers a 1-0 lead.
Bismarck answered in the top of the third. Ezra Farmer launched a towering fly ball to right-center field that caught the strong wind and carried over the fence, tying the game at 1-1.
The game remained even until the bottom of the fifth inning. Cameron Sewell led off the frame with a single, sparking an offensive rally. Three consecutive singles from the top of the lineup followed, resulting in a three-run inning and a 4-1 Rochester advantage.
Field Manager Jason Jácome reflected on the offensive surge that produced the go-ahead runs.
"We went out there and put the bat on the ball that left through for them. He's (Caleb Gimbel) a tough, tough pitcher," Jácome said. "But we went out there and made good swings, made contact, hit the ball, got hits, and scored some runs."
Annin returned for the sixth inning and emptied the tank, completing six strong innings while helping propel Rochester to its seventh win of the season.
Annin spoke about the approach that led to his success.
"I tried getting ahead early. That's been the big focus this entire week, trying to get ahead early, attack hitters, and be efficient," Annin said. "Just trying to attack-that's my main word this week."
That aggressive mentality carried over to Rochester's bullpen. Still working to establish consistent late-inning roles, the Honkers turned to Franco Moran to bridge the gap after Annin's departure.
Moran shut down the Larks over the seventh and eighth innings, setting the stage for Andres Castro to record the final three outs in the ninth and secure the victory.
Jácome praised the collective effort from his pitching staff.
"We're trying to find guys to get in there in the right positions in the game, and it worked out well tonight," Jácome said. "Franco went in there and got his two innings in, and Andres went in there and closed it down for us."
The Honkers claimed the opening game of the two-game series against Bismarck and will return to Mayo Field on Thursday night for the finale, with first pitch scheduled for 6:35 p.m.
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