Extra-Inning Bout Doesn’t Go Honkers Way in 4-3 Loss to Willmar

WILLMAR, Minn. -- The Honkers (7-30) got great pitching from their struggling team, but it wasn't enough as they dropped a 4-3 game to the Willmar Stingers (20-18) in 11 innings, thanks to four errors.

The loss was their 30th of the season.

In the top of the second, the Honkers grabbed an early one-run lead when Drew Ellis, who was batting in the eight hole for the first time this season, drove in Casey Worden with an RBI single to make it 1-0. Ellis went 4-5 on the night.

Houston Glad had a good three innings to start for the Honkers giving up one run on four hits with a strikeout. Glad gave up his one run in the bottom of the second, when Stingers designated hitter Danny Mayer hit a solo shot to tie the game at 1-1.

Glad was relieved by Stevie Ledesma, who gave up two hits over two innings with three strikeouts. While Ledesma was pitching, the Honkers regained the lead in the top of fifth, when Ellis hit his third home run of the year to give his team a 2-1 lead.

Tanner Schumacher came in to relieve Ledesma in the sixth, and gave up the tying run in the sixth on Luke Becker's RBI double, and then gave up the go ahead run in the seventh, however it was unearned. In the inning, Brandon Perez hit a single to lead off the inning then advanced to second on Josh Davis' error in left field. Perez then came around to score two batter later when he scored on Danny Pardo's sac fly to make it a 3-2 game.

The Honkers were able to tie it in the eighth when Alex Fitchett drove in Kyle Kasser on a single to left making it 3-3 and the score stayed that way until the 11th.

After Ricky Delgado, pitched three scoreless innings, giving up only two baserunners via walk, and striking out three, Isaac Friesen came in for the 11th.

Friesen allowed the first batter of the inning, Quincy McAfee, to reach due to Kyle Kasser's error and that error would cause the loss as McAfee came around to score on Kole Cottam's double to end the game.

Friesen was dealt his fourth loss of the year, his first in relief, and Jake Rothwell was given his first win of the year for his three scoreless innings out of the pen.

The Honkers are back at Mayo Field tonight at 7:05 when they play the St. Cloud Rox (24-12).