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Rochester Honkers snap 10-game slide with 7-5 win over Border Cats

ROCHESTER, Minn. -- They gave themselves a chance, but once again the Thunder Bay Border Cats came up short.

ROCHESTER, Minn. -- They gave themselves a chance, but once again the Thunder Bay Border Cats came up short.

Mitch Bigras struck out with two out and the bases loaded in the ninth inning Monday night, the Cats losing for the 24th time in 26 games this season with a 7-5 defeat at the hands of the host Rochester Honkers.

Rochester (6-20) had lost 10 in a row heading into the contest.

A four-run seventh proved to be Thunder Bay’s downfall, after the struggling team took a 5-3 lead with a pair of runs in the top half of the inning.

Newcomer Shannon Broussard made his debut for the Border Cats, but lasted just 14 batters and left in the third having given up two runs on two hits and four walks.

Dale Ellis homered in the second to start the Honkers offensive ball rolling, Rochester doubling their lead in the second on Joey Czarske’s RBI fielder’s choice.

Michael Papierski scored on an Andy Weber single in the fifth to cut the Rochester lead in half, then took a 3-2 lead in the sixth after the Honkers went to their bullpen.

Shane Shepard tied it with a solo shot off reliever Jackson Rose and the Border Cats went ahead on a groundout to short by Michael Papierski, Bigras scoring from third.

The Honkers tied it up again in the bottom half of the inning, the Cats regaining the lead in the seventh with a pair, Bobby Honeyman and Anthony Borcato blasting home runs with the bases empty to put Thunder Bay up 5-3.

But reliever Tom Mullin couldn’t keep it together for Thunder Bay in the bottom half of the frame, Turner Buis singling to left to start the inning and Mullin hitting a pair of batters to load the bases before being replaced by Ben Hoffman.

Hoffman promptly served up a two-run single to Jacob Thomas that evened the game again, then unleashed a wild pitch that allowed Ellis to score from third.

The Border Cats pitching allowed just six hits on the night, but walked seven.



Leith Dunick

About the Author: Leith Dunick

A proud Nova Scotian who has called Thunder Bay home since 2002, Leith is Dougall Media's director of news, but still likes to tell your stories too. Wants his Expos back and to see Neil Young at least one more time. Twitter: @LeithDunick
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