Honkers’ Duffin Wins Home Run Contest

(Rochesterhonkers.com) -- Rochester Honkers’ slugger Joe DeRoche-Duffin won the individual crown in the 2015 Marshfield Home Run Contest with eight home runs, helping the North division beat the South 22-21 in the team contest.

Each division was represented with nine batters. Each player had one “inning” with six outs to hit, with North and South players alternating, with the South hitting second as the home team.

With the most home runs in the North coming in, Duffin was the leadoff man for the whole competition. His eight homers seemed to set the tone, and it felt like the sluggers that followed would keep the totals high. That was not the case, as only Anthony Gonsolin (Saint Mary’s) of the Madison Mallards mounting a true threat with his six home runs, which garnered him second place.

Though Duffin didn’t have to sweat too much about his individual title, the team crown came down the final batter.  With the North up 22-18, Mitch McGeein (Easter Michigan) from the hosting Wisconsin Rapids Rafters came to the plate. McGeein would pick up three home runs to bring the South within one, but with five outs would lift his final ball to the warning track, ending the contest and giving the North the win.

Yano picks up strikeout in ASG as North falls 3-1

Rochester Honkers’ starting pitcher Jayson Yano (Stevens Institute) appeared in the 2015 Marshfield Clinic Northwoods League All-Star Game on Tuesday night, picking up one strikeout and inducing a pair of groundouts in four batters faced as the North Division All-Stars fell to the South 3-1.

Yano entered the game with two outs in the fourth inning and inherited a runner on first base. After giving up a single to the first batter he faced, Yano picked up a strikeout then induced a groundout to first base to get the North out of trouble. He came back out to start the fifth inning, and got another groundout before North Division and Willmar Stinger manager Drew Saberhagen pulled him to keep the All-Star pitching rotation in motion.

Lake Bachar (UW-Whitewater) of the Lakeshore Chinooks was credited with the win for the South, while P.J. Schuster Jr. (SIUE) of the Kenosha Kingfish earned the save after recording the final out of the game. After getting the starting nod for the North. Brady Anderson (FGCU) of the Willmar Stingers was charged with the loss when he surrendered two runs in the first inning.

Kenosha outfielder Eric Fillia (UCLA) earned the Star of Stars award after going 1-3 at the plate and scoring two of the South’s three runs.

With the win, the South Division secured home field advantage for their divisional representative in the Summer Collegiate World Series.

The Honkers will be back in Rochester on Thursday, July 23rd, to face the Eau Claire Express at 12:05 p.m. It will be Kids "3 Buck" Day presented by Perkins. Kids 12 and under will gain admission for just $3! It will also be a Novo Nordisk Home Run for Life Thursday.