Honkers Take Game One in Thriller over Border Cats
Northwoods Rochester Honkers

Honkers Take Game One in Thriller over Border Cats

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


ROCHESTER, MINN. - The Rochester Honkers survived a late scare to defeat the Thunder Bay Border Cats 9-8 Saturday night at Mayo Field, holding on after a dramatic ninth inning to improve to 7-2 in the second half.

Ian Regal got the start on the mound for Rochester and worked around a leadoff single by Nate Negree in the first inning. Cooper Kruk erased the baserunner with a perfect throw to second to catch Negree stealing before Regal retired the next two hitters on a flyout and a popout.

Rochester struck first in the bottom of the opening inning. Jackson Glueck lined a two-out single that ricocheted off third baseman Jesus Vasquez, setting the stage for Cooper Kruk. The cleanup hitter launched a two-run home run to give the Honkers an early 2-0 advantage.

Kruk said getting ahead in the count helped him capitalize on his first at-bat.

"First at bat, he got me to a 3-0 count, took the next one," Kruk said. "And then saw another heater in the zone, and I smoked it. So that was a great start."

Both offenses cooled off until the fourth inning when Thunder Bay mounted a two-out rally. An error by Angel Santiago and a hit-by-pitch put two runners aboard before consecutive RBI singles from Jesus Vasquez and Dylan Sneed gave the Border Cats a 3-2 lead.

The advantage was short-lived.

After back-to-back walks to begin the bottom of the fourth, Ezekiel Mendoza crushed a three-run home run to left field, putting Rochester back in front 5-3.

Thunder Bay answered again in the fifth. A walk and consecutive hits by Steven Spalitta and Mark Ross II helped the Border Cats plate two runs and trim the deficit to 5-4.

The Honkers responded once more in the bottom half of the inning. Following a one-out walk to Jackson Glueck, Kruk stepped to the plate and drove the payoff pitch the opposite way for his second two-run home run of the night, extending Rochester's lead to 7-4.

Kruk credited a more relaxed approach for his recent offensive success.

"I feel like I've just been having more fun, playing a little more free, putting a little less pressure on myself to really play at the level that I know I'm capable of, and it's almost worked backwards," Kruk said. "And now I feel like I'm playing free and as best as I can."

Regal completed five innings, allowing five runs-two earned-before turning the game over to the bullpen.

Vaughn Johnson followed with two scoreless innings, stabilizing the game and giving Rochester a chance to add to its lead. The Honkers did just that in the sixth, scoring two insurance runs that ultimately proved to be the difference.

Grant Origer retired the side in order in the eighth and returned for the ninth looking to close out the victory. After recording the first out, however, Thunder Bay mounted one final push. Three consecutive walks, a base hit and two more walks cut Rochester's four-run lead to just one, forcing manager Jason Jacome to make a pitching change.

Jácome turned to Brandon Fears with the tying and go-ahead runs on base. Fears needed just three pitches, all strikes, to record the game's final out and secure the victory.

Jácome said Fears was the right arm for the situation.

"He's a power arm. He throws strikes, and you know that's what you need in that situation," Jácome said. "Somebody to come out there and throw strikes and get people out."

With the win, Rochester improved to 7-2 in the second half and will look to complete the two-game series sweep against Thunder Bay on Sunday. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. at Mayo Field.

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Northwoods League Stories from July 13, 2026


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