Honkers Lose as Thunder Bay Walks-Off to 7-6 Win

THUNDER BAY, CANADA -- The Honkers (5-8, 12-36) up 6-5 with two outs to go, had a chance to win their first game after the all-star break but Stevie Ledesma (L, 0-2) couldn't shut the door as the Border Cats (5-,8 11-36) took a 7-6 walk-off win.

The Honkers jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning. With the bases loaded and two outs, Alex Fitchett came up and knocked a two-run single to score Kyle Kasser, and Joey Czarske to make it 2-0, then Josh Davis followed him with an RBI single of his own to score Drew Ellis and make the score 3-0.

On the mound, the Honkers got a good start out of Robert Paccione who went five innings, striking out five, and leaving with the score 5-2, only allowing a home run to Jake Gellenback in the second and added another on wild pitches in the fourth.

In the fifth, the Honkers added two more scoring on a two-run home run by Jackson Thoreson to make it 5-2.

The Honkers added one more in the top of the sixth via a Joey Czarske RBI double, but in the bottom half of the inning, Brett Herber, who had been stringing strong performances together, gave up three to make the score 6-5. Herber walked four in the inning, allowing two to score when Michael Papierski tripled them home.

Ricky Delgado came and relieved Herber after an out in the seventh, and pitched 1.2 innings to keep the Honkers up 6-5 to go to the ninth.

In the ninth, Ledesma struck out the first batter he faced then on a 1-2 delivery to Shane Shepard, who knocked a game-tying home run to tie the game. Following the home run, an error by Ryan Fitzpatrick at first allowed Jake Gellenback to reach. Following the error, Mitch Bigras lined a triple to drive in Gellenback to end the game.

Stevie Ledesma was given the loss as Vinny Santarsiero (1-1) got the win. The Honkers and Border Cats play again tomorrow night at 7:05.