MANKATO — The Rochester Honkers received outstanding relief pitching in posting a 3-2 win in 13 innings over the Mankato MoonDoogs in Northwoods League baseball on Thursday night.
Relief pitchers Hayden Edwards (Kansas) and Reid Roper (Illinois) combined for five hitless innings for the Honkers. Jeff Campbell then followed with two more scoreless innings of relief to collect the win.
The victory was just Rochester's second in 15 games during the second half of the season.
The Honkers won the game in the 13th inning when Max Murphy (Bradley) opened the inning with an infield single, Rochester's first hit since the seventh inning, and scored on a double by Matt Halloran (Minnesota),
Murphy had homered in the top of the sixth inning to give the Honkers a brief 2-1 lead, but Mankato tied the score in the bottom of the sixth against Rochester starter Matt Kent (Texas A&M). Kent allowed two runs in six innings of work.
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The Honkers also scored in the second inning when Tyler Baker (Wichita State) double and scored on a one-out single by Caleb Dugas (Copiah-Lincoln Community College).
Rochester's four pitchers combined for 17 strikeouts against the MoonDogs.
The Honkers (2-13 second half) return home to Mayo Field to host the Waterloo Bucks at 7:05 p.m. today. Nick Dolsky (Oklahoma State) is scheduled to make the start for the Honkers. Aaron Rhodes (Florida) is slated to start for the Bucks.
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Honkers 3, Mankato 2
Rochester#010#001#000#000#1#—#3#9#2
Mankato#100#001#000#000#0#—#2#9#3
Rochester: Hanawahine 1-for-5, 1 2B, 2 RBI; Burgess 1-for-6, 1 2B; Murphy 2-for-4, 2 R, 1 RBI, 1 HR; Halloran 1-for-4, 1 RBI, 1 2B; Baker 2-for-4, 1 R, 1 2B; Dugas 1-for-6, 1 RBI; Sullivan 1-for-6. WP: Campbell 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K. Other pitchers: Kent 6 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K; Edwards 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K; Roper 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K.
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Mankato: Arakawa 3-for-6, 1 R; Vavra 1-for-2, 1 R, 1 RBI; Simpson 1-for-6, 1 RBI; Polston 1 RBI. LP: Mittyra 2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K.
