Honkers Win Fourth Straight
August 10, 2019 - Northwoods League (Northwoods) - Rochester Honkers News Release
Mankato, MN - It doesn't matter where they  play, the Honkers keep winning. After winning their last two games in St. Cloud, the Flock started out their road series in Mankato with an 11-2 win against the MoonDogs.
It didn't look like it would be such a convincing win in the bottom of the first inning when Mankato right fielder Josh Elvir hit an RBI single to give the MoonDogs an early 1-0 lead.
However, the momentum quickly changed in the top of the second inning when the Honkers reeled off 7 runs!
Following singles by Tristan Peterson (New Mexico State) and Austin Schell (Golden West College), Peterson scored Rochester's first run by racing home on a wild pitch.
The next batter, Mitchell Allen (New Mexico State), hit a two-run double to give the Flock a 3-1 lead.
After Henry George (Minnesota-Duluth) and Evan Berkey (Cal State-Bakersfield) drew walks, Kyler McMahan (Oregon State) drew a bases-loaded walk to make Rochester's lead 4-1.
Andy Armstrong (Oregon State) doubled the Honkers' lead, from 4-1 to 7-1, with a three-run double.
The Flock's starter Mike Lopez (Cal State-San Marcos) settled down in the bottom of the second inning by retiring three of the first four batters he faced.
Lopez continued to roll in the third and fourth inning by recording back-to-back 1-2-3 innings.
Rochester increased its lead to 10-1 in the top of the fifth inning when Allen hit an RBI double and George lined a two-run single into the outfield.
Lopez capped off his great pitching performance with his fourth straight 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the sixth inning.
The Honkers tacked one more run in the top of the seventh inning when George hit an RBI single to give Rochester an 11-1 lead.
Adam Fjerstad (Bethany Lutheran) came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh for the Flock.
Fjerstad didn't give up any hits, but Mankato managed to score its second run due to an error, balk, and two wild pitches.
Leading 11-2, relievers Micah Wallette (Golden West College) and Jeremiah Van De Steeg (Rochester Community & Technical College) pitched back-to-back 1-2-3 innings to seal the convincing win.
The 11-2 victory boosts Rochester's second-half record to 20-16 and its overall record is now 38-33.
Lopez earned Profile Sanford Player of the Game honors for surrendering just two hits and one run in six innings.
The Flock concludes its series against the MoonDogs and season on Sunday, August 11, when they go for a sweep of Mankato at 3:05 p.m.
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Northwoods League Stories from August 10, 2019
- Rox Clinch Playoff Berth During Game Two of Doubleheader, Play at Home Monday - St. Cloud Rox
- Galason Cycles as Rafters Beat Chinooks - Lakeshore Chinooks
- Honkers Win Fourth Straight - Rochester Honkers
- Bombers Mount Comeback to Topple Kingfish - Battle Creek Battle Jacks
- Eau Claire Express Are Second-Half Champs and Playoff Bound - Eau Claire Express
- Stingers Beat Huskies - Willmar Stingers
- Stingers Down Huskies 9-1 - Duluth Huskies
- Great Plains East Sub-Divisional Series Schedule Set - Waterloo Bucks
- Galason Makes History, Rafters Blow out Chinooks - Wisconsin Rapids Rafters
- Dock Spiders Crawl over Mallards in Game One - Madison Mallards
- Bucks Collapse Late in 11-6 Loss to Eau Claire - Waterloo Bucks
- Green Bay Falls in Final Road Game - Green Bay Rockers
- MoonDogs Fall to Honkers and out of Playoff Contention Saturday Night - Mankato MoonDogs
- Bombers Comeback to Beat Kingfish - Kenosha Kingfish
- Woodchucks Defeat Green Bay and Win Final Home Game of the Season - Wausau Woodchucks
- KZoo Offense Cold in Loss to Traverse City - Kalamazoo Growlers
- Delano Tosses Three-Hitter, Rox Beat Border Cats in Game One of Doubleheader - St. Cloud Rox
- Rafters Open Pivotal Series in Lakeshore - Wisconsin Rapids Rafters
- Express Players Honored - Eau Claire Express
- Four Rox Players Named Northwoods League Postseason All-Stars - St. Cloud Rox
- Ferguson & Rubalcaba Named to Postseason NWL All-Star Team - Waterloo Bucks
- Two Honkers Earn Postseason All-Star Status - Rochester Honkers
- Northwoods League Announces 2019 Postseason All-Star Team - Northwoods
- Mallards Host Dock Spiders for Last Regular Season Home Game - Madison Mallards
- Former Growler John Schreiber Debuts in the Majors - Kalamazoo Growlers
- Former Kalamazoo Growler John Schreiber Debuts with the Tigers - Northwoods
- Loggers Stay in Playoff Hunt with 8-1 Win over Thunder Bay - La Crosse Loggers
- MoonDogs Fall in Back and Forth 12-Inning Marathon with Stingers Friday Night - Mankato MoonDogs
- Honkers Complete Sweep of Rox - Rochester Honkers
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