ROCHESTER, Minn. -- Despite blowing an early 2-0 lead the Honkers (10-11, 17-39)  buckled down and stormed back from a 5-2 deficit to take a 6-5 decision away from the Thunder Bay Border Cats (7-13, 13-41) for their third straight win and to bring the team within a game of .500.

The Honkers got things started early offensively thanks to the long-ball. in the second inning, Josh Davis led off the inning with his fourth home run of the year, and on the next offering from Gunnar Kay, Drew Ellis broke out of his slump to smack a solo shot to left-center for his ninth of the year and a 2-0 lead.

After the second, Kay could not be touched until the seventh thanks to two double plays and 15 groundball outs through six innings.

Max Gamboa was masterful through five innings, allowing only one run on two hits while striking out three and walking two, also hitting two, but in the sixth things fell apart as he allowed four runs and gave up the lead.

Gamboa got himself into trouble as he allowed the first three to reach on a walk and two singles to load the bases. During the at-bat of Joe Gellenbeck he got help on a failed suicide squeeze attempt, but after getting Shane Shepard out at home, he walked Gellenbeck to load the bases once again, and on the following pitch Bobby Honeyman cleared the bases with a double to give his team a 4-2 lead. Honeyman then scored on an error by Ryan Fitzpatrick to give the Border Cats a 5-2 lead.


That would be it as Kay forced a groundball to end the inning and keep the score at 5-4. In the eighth Kay wasn't so lucky. Kay struck out Drew Ellis to lead off the inning on a very questionable called strike three that led to Ellis' ejection. However after allowing Casey Worden and Brett Harrison to hit singles, with a Jacob Thomas strike out in between, Thunder Bay manager Cole Mahoney-Brue, brought in his top reliever Vinny Santarsiero to get the final out of the eighth. Santarsiero got that out, but not after an RBI single to Miles Lewis that tied the game and another by Kyle Kasser that gave the Honkers the 6-5 lead.


Jackson Douglas (2-4) for his scoreless eighth was given the win, as Gunnar Kay (1-3) was given the loss. Lance Berringer got his first save of the season.

The Honkers will be on the road tomorrow before coming back home on Sunday, as they play the Eau Claire Express (10-9, 35-20) at 6:35 at Carson Park.

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