Honkers Officially Eliminated from Playoffs after 9-3 Loss to Battle Creek

ROCHESTER, Minn. -- Home runs spelled doom for the Honkers (11-18, 18-46) once again, as two home runs by Eric Gilgenbach single handedly beat the Honkers and eliminated them from the playoff hunt in a 9-2 loss to Battle Creek (16-11, 34-29) at Mayo Field, their seventh straight.

The Honkers where held without an extra base hit and allowed the three biggest extra base hits possible in four home runs.

The first home run came in the top of the second when Daniel Jipping crushed a hoe run to right center to make it 1-0. The Bombers scored another in the second to make it 2-0, then hit their second home run in the fourth.

With two men on and one out, Eric Gilgenbach hit one out to left-center as well to give his team a 5-0 lead.

The Honkers scored one of their two in the bottom of the fifth on Miles Lewis RBI single, and another in the sixth to make it 5-2 but it wasn't anywhere near enough.

The Bombers added one more in the seventh off of newcomer Davis Messier when Dean Miller hit a bomb off of the right field scoreboard to give his team a 6-2 lead.

In the eighth, the Honkers allowed three more this time with Ian Clark on the mound, Eric Gilgenbach followed Daniel Patzlaff's RBI single, with his second home run of the game, a two-run home run to right center to give his team a 9-2 lead.

The Honkers added one in the ninth with an RBI single from Ryan Fitzpatrick but that would be all in the 9-3 loss.

David Worrell (1-5) was dealt the loss going six innings and giving up five runs on eight hits with three walks and three strikeouts. For Battle Creek the Bombers starter Nigel Ward (3-3) got the win for his six innings giving up only two runs on seven hits, one walk, and five strikeouts.

The Honkers will be in Thunder Bay for two straight before being back home for their second to last home game. Their game tomorrow starts at 7:35 at Port Arthur Stadium.