Huskies Rally from Three-Run Deficit, Win Third in a Row over Rochester
Northwoods Duluth Huskies

Huskies Rally from Three-Run Deficit, Win Third in a Row over Rochester

Published on June 26, 2025 under Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Duluth Huskies News Release


DULUTH, MN - The Duluth Huskies rattled off their third straight victory over Rochester, winning by a final score of 8-3.

Duluth sent Anthony Andrews to the mound, coming off a sterling start against the Minot Hot Tots when he went six innings with one earned run allowed.

Peyton Knowles would get the scoring started in the first, after Angel Cortez singled to drive him in and give Rochester an early lead. Honkers shortstop Kai Caranto drove in Tommy Eisenstat to make it a 2-0 lead for the visitors.

In the second, they added on with Maddox Haley reaching base by way of an error by third baseman Ethan Surowiec. This allowed Carson Beavers to score the third Rochester run of the game.

In the home half of the third, Duluth responded in a characteristic offensive explosion. Zan Von Schlegell worked a walk, followed by recent Huskies addition Nate Novitske's first of an eventual four singles. Von Schlegell came around to score when Tommy Farmer shot a double to left, getting the Huskies on the board. Michael Smith singled up the middle to drive in Novitske, and Ethan Surowiec continued his offensive hot streak by lining a two-RBI double into the left-center gap.

Paul Contreras then muscled a ball off the wall in right-center, driving in Surowiec. Attempting to advance to third, Contreras was tagged out as the rainy weather had wetted the field's turf and he was unable to stop atop third base. Nevertheless, Duluth now led by a 5-3 score.

In four consecutive innings, the Rochester Honkers loaded the bases in some form or another, through the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth. Yet, every single time, the Huskies pitching staff found a way to work out of the jam and preserve the lead for Duluth.

In the top of the fifth, it was Max Nelson eliciting an Ibrahim Marrero double play. In the sixth, recent Duluth Marshall High School graduate Owen Marsolek made his Northwoods League debut. He likewise loaded the bags, but struck out the side to pitch a scoreless frame.

In the seventh, usual Huskies starter Jackson Smith came on in relief, and he too was able to strand the bases loaded with a Payton Knowles flyout to Michael Smith in center. In the eighth, he repeated the Houdini act, getting a swinging strikeout of Ibrahim Marrero.

The Duluth offense was happy to assist their pitching staff through the sixth, seventh, and eighth as well.

In the sixth, Nate Novitske hit his third single, this time driving in Paul Contreras. In the seventh, Michael Smith stole second, advanced to third on an error, then stole home for his 22nd and 23rd swiped bags of the year, putting him in a tie for third on the league leaderboard.

In the eighth, the Huskies got one last piece of insurance in the form of Zan Von Schlegell scoring on an error in left field, following Nate Novitske's fourth and final single of the night.

In the top of the ninth, Simon Murray entered the ballgame and ended the game, pitching a scoreless final inning with a strikeout of Payton Knowles. Anthony Andrews earned the win, his third of the season for Duluth.

On Deck:

The Huskies will play the fourth and final game of their series against Rochester tomorrow at 6:35 p.m. Central Time, before Eau Claire rolls back into town for the start of a four-game home-and-home rotation beginning on the 27th of June.

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Northwoods League Stories from June 26, 2025


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