Honkers Offense Shut Down by Border Cats in 5-3 Loss

ROCHESTER, Minn. -- After being incredibly patient last night drawing a multitude of walks, that patience disappeared as the Honkers (6-21) only managed two walks in a 5-3 loss to Thunder Bay (3-24).

The Honkers only had at-bats over four pitches seven times against Border Cats starter Jordan Thompson (W, 1-3) who went seven innings allowing only two runs on six hits with three strikeouts while only walking one.

Despite outhitting the Border Cats 9-6 the Honkers couldn't get the run in when it mattered leading to the loss.

What had seemed to be remedied by Honkers starters game back to bite them in this game once again as the Honkers got down to an early deficit giving up two runs in the first.

Honkers starter Isaac Friesen (L, 0-3) walked the first batter of the game, Jesse Lee, who came in to score on Shane Shepard's infield single three batters later. Mitch Bigras then skied a fly ball to center that allowed Andy Weber to tag up and score on a sac fly to make the game 2-0.

Friesen would give up two more in his five innings, one in the forth when he hit Jordan Gillerman with the bases loaded to allow Mitch Bigrias to score, and one in the fifth when Bigras hit a ball that was misplayed by Alex Fitchett in right to allow Andy Weber to score and Bigrias to reach third for a triple.

The Honkers responded in the bottom half of the fifth when Miles Lewis drove in Jacob Thomas with a single up the middle to make the score 4-1 and then with an RBI single from Alex Fitchett to drive in Keaton Weisz to make the score 4-2.

In the seventh with Hunter Van Horn on the mound, Anthony Brocato lead off the inning with a home run to make the score 5-2.

The bottom of the eighth brought the Honkers their best chance of the night to take the lead. Alex Fitchett lead off the inning with a single to left. After Turner Buis struck out, Joey Czarske blooped a single in front of Thunder Bay right fielder, Brocato to give the Honkers two baserunners with only one out. Jackson Thoreson then came up and lined one to center field that was playable for Lee but he was unable to locate the ball as it dropped in and rolled to the wall to give Thoreson a double and allowed Fitchett to score to make the game 5-3. Drew Ellis then was hit by a pitch on a full count pitch to give the Honkers the bases loaded with only one out and the tying run on second.

The Honkers play two games tomorrow, with the first coming at 12:05 and the second back at May Field with a 7:05 start, both against the Mankato MoonDogs .

Quick Hits

• Honkers manager Trevor Hairgrove was not in attendance as he was at the hospital with his wife for the birth of first child. Demetre Kokoris acted as active manager for the game.
• Both Mark Contreras and Chase Lambert will be out for an undisclosed period with injuries to the wrist and shoulder respectively.