Northwoods St. Cloud Rox

Rox Lose Heartbreaker in Willmar

June 21, 2012 - Northwoods League (Northwoods)
St. Cloud Rox News Release


WILLMAR- The St Cloud Rox loaded the bases in the top of the ninth inning but couldn't quite finish the comeback in a 6-5 loss to the Willmar Stingers Thursday night. With the loss the Rox are 5-17 on the season. The Stingers are now 14-9 and have won five games in a row.

The Rox got the first run of the game in the first inning when first baseman Carlos Lopez (Cal State-Fullerton) singled home Phil Imholte (St Cloud State) for the 1-0 lead.

The Stingers struck back hard, however, with a Corben Green (Louisiana- Monroe) grand slam off of Rox starter Zach Hirsch (Nebraska). Hirsch took the loss for the Rox and is 1-1 on the season. He pitched six innings scattering six hits while allowing five runs.

The Rox got a pair of runs in the top of the fourth inning on a pair of bases loaded walks. Chris Paul (California) walked on a 3-1 count to score Ty Jackson (Washington State) and Imholte walked to score Erik Kozel (Colorado Mesa) and make the score 4-3.

The Stingers scored single runs in each of the fifth and seventh innings to hold a 6-3 lead heading to the ninth inning.

The late inning dramatics began with a Boo Vazquez (Pittsburgh) walk off of Stingers reliever Andre Wheeler (Texas Tech). Lopez followed with a single and Mark Rhine (Wake Forest), representing the tying run, walked with nobody out to load the bases. Andy Henkemeyer (Minnesota) walked to force home Vazquez and make the score 6-4.

Stingers manager Matt Hollod went to the bullpen for his seventh pitcher of the night in Brady Anderson (FL Gulf Coast). Jackson followed with a fielder's choice groundout that scored Lopez and gave the Rox runners on 2nd and 3rd with one out, down just one run.

After Kozel was hit by a pitch to re-load the bases, Anderson was able to induce a swinging strikeout from Nick Tanielu (Washington State) for the second out of the ninth.

With the runners in motion on a 3-2 count Chris Paul hit a broken bat flare that Stingers second baseman Kenny Roberts (Alabama) tracked down on the outfield grass to end the Rox rally and earn the sweep of the five game series.



Northwoods League Stories from June 21, 2012


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