Honkers Cruise With Kent’s Complete Game

The Rochester Honkers took Tuesday afternoon's meeting with the Mankato MoonDogs 9-2.

Matt Kent took the hill for the Honkers Tuesday afternoon and the lead-off man reached on an error. Brett Synek followed with a a run-scoring double. Synek was then picked off second base for the first out. Kent then retired the next batter for what could have been the third out had the error not led off the inning. Instead, Derek Umphres homered to make it 2-0 MoonDogs in the first inning. Both runs were unearned.

In the bottom of the inning, Alex Schultz led off with a single and advanced to second on an error. Schultz came in to cut it to a 2-1 deficit after a Jeff Campbell ground ball was booted for Mankato's third error of the inning and the fourth error overall in the game.

In the third, Schultz again singled to lead off the inning and was scored by a Connor Schaefbauer double. Two batters later, Jeff Campbell drove Schaefbauer home to take a 3-2 lead.

The Honkers batted around in the fifth and scored four runs, highlighted by back-to-back blasts by Reid Roper and John Schuknecht.

The Honkers added more in the seventh and the eighth. Corey Hassel hit his team-leading fifth home run in the seventh to make it an 8-2 ballgame. In the eighth, Connor Schaefbuaer led off with his third hit of the game and scored his third run of the game when Reid Roper singled him in. Roper was 3-4 with 4 RBI and a run scored.

No more runs came in for Mankato, and 9-2 was the final. Matt Kent went the distance and gave up no earned runs with seven hits, eight strikeouts, one hit batsman, and no walks. Kent improved to 2-3 on the year, and lowered his ERA from 2.95 to 2.40.

With the win, the Honkers improve to 6-7 in the second half. The two teams play again Wednesday night at 7:05 p.m. in Mankato. Left hander Michael Freeman will take the mound to try to even the Honkers' second half record.