The Minot Hot Tots were plagued by strike outs during their first game of the second half of the season versus the St. Cloud Rox.

The Hot Tots played in Minnesota Tuesday night for their first game for the second half of the 2025 season. The St. Cloud Rox secured a spot in this season’s playoffs at the end of the first half of the season. The Rox led the Great Plains West division with a record of 25-8. They had a .758 win percentage with a three game win streak to end the half.

The Hot Tots were last in the division with a record of 10-26 and a win percentage of .278. Minot held a 1-7 record against the Rox during the first half of the season.

The Hot Tots were hoping for a fresh start with the second half of the season, but were held up in their game against the Rox. St. Cloud’s starting pitcher, No. 22 Hunter Day, played throughout the first eight innings of the game. In that time, he saw 31 Hot Tots batters, threw 10 strikeouts, and only allowed four hits. Not a single run was scored while Day was on the mound.

The Hot Tots struggled to get on base during Tuesday night’s game. Only one inning saw more than four Hot Tots in the batter’s box. Five batters had an at bat appearance during the fifth inning. Two batters reached first base that inning. Ryan Castro was walked, just one of two walks for St. Cloud’s Ryan Day, and Jonah Shields was hit by a pitch. Every other inning the game saw just three or four batters for the Hot Tots.

Minot’s defense Tuesday night struggled as well. The Hot Tots allowed 10 runs on 12 hits with no errors. Camden Dimidjian started on the mound for the Hot Tots. He secured two strikeouts, but gave up seven hits and six earned runs. Cade Dickinson switched in during the bottom of the fourth. Dickinson allowed four hits and four earned runs with two strikeouts before being switched out in the bottom of the sixth by Noah Hines. Hines allowed just one hit and no runs in his time on the mound, but the Hot Tots’ offence could not break through St. Cloud’s wall.

The game ended after the top of the ninth with a score of 0-10 to give Minot their first loss of the second half of the season. Minot will play the St. Cloud Rox again in Minnesota Wednesday, July 2. They will play their first game at Corbett Field this half of the season against rival Bismarck Larks Thursday, July 3.