ST. CLOUD, MN -- Baseball is a game based on failure. With that failure, it can be seen as a cruel game. Tonight in the Honkers (4-8) 10-9 loss to St. Cloud Rox (7-5) baseball was cruel.

The Honkers got themselves into a big hole once again as they were down by four twice this game only to make a comeback, take a lead, and blow it each time, culminated by a walk-off single in the bottom of the 9th by Rox catcher Brendan Illies.

After getting down 4-0 by the start of the fifth, the Honkers started their first comeback. In the top of the fifth the Honkers finally broke through against Rox starter Logan Salow, who had been cruising up to that point, with a two-run RBI single by Houston Glad, making it 4-2.

In the sixth the Honkers added two more to even the score at four. First on a stolen base and error by the catcher Illies that allowed Keaton Weisz to score, and the second on a RBI single by Brent Harrison, driving in Bryce Marquardt.

The Honkers only got 3.0 innings from their starter, David Worrell, but 2.1 innings of one run ball by Jesse Ellefson helped keep the Honkers in the game.

However after Tanner Schumacher was able to get out of the sixth unscathed, he was unable to do the same in the seventh as he gave up four earned runs. Schumacher first gave up an RBI single to Brett Pope, then after walking the next batter to load the bases, he walked Drew Freedman to make the score 6-4. Schumacher then gave up a two-run single to Illies to make the score 8-4.

However the Honkers had that second comeback in them.

In the top of the 8th, the Honkers cored five times on five hits to make the score 9-8 and take their first lead of the day.

Joey Czarske drove in the first run of the inning on an RBI single. Jackson Thoreson then singled to load the bases, and Christopher Scalisi another single to drive in Brett Harrison, leaving the bases jammed for Houston Glad. Glad was unable to keep the line moving with a hit but he reached on a fielder's choice and an error by the Rox second baseman allowed two runs to score tying the game at 8-8. Glad then scored on a wild pitch giving the Honkers the 9-8 lead.

The lead was short lived though as reliever, Jackson Rose came into relieve Schumacher and after two errors allowing the lead-off man Ricky Ramirez to advance to third with no outs and without a single pitch thrown to the next batter. The next batter Luke Ringhofer then drove in Ramirez with a sacrifice fly to left to tie the game.

In the ninth, Rose retired the first batter, but then a walk to Drew Freedman, followed by a passed ball, allowed Illies to drive in Freedman with a single to end the game.

The Honkers have now lost two in a row for the third time this season and hope to end that losing streak when they play La Crosse (6-6) at Copeland Field with a a first pitch at 5:05.

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