LA CROSSE, Wisc. – The Thunder Bay Border Cats are off to one of the fastest starts in team history.
The Cats (3-0) on Wednesday night captured their third straight road win to open the 2024 campaign, battling back from two runs down to pull out a 4-2 win over the host La Crosse Loggers.
Kenneth Sugi drove in what proved to be the game-winning run in the top of the ninth inning, singling home Nathanel Frederking, who walked to open the frame.
The Loggers struck first, scoring a pair of runs in the second inning on Thunder Bay starter Shane Kearbey, who settled own after that, allowing two runs on six hits, while striking out five over five innings.
Kearbey retired the first two batters he faced to open the fifth, but J.T. Kelenic, the younger brother of Atlanta outfielder Jarred Kelenic, singled. Timothy Schmidt followed with a double of his own and both runners scored on Jack Collins’ double to centre.
La Crosse starter Ashton Michek was in fine form for most of the contest, but finally found trouble in the sixth, when the Border Cats put up a pair of runs to tie the game 2-2. Logan McIntyre reached on a one-out single and took second on Cooke Jackson’s walk.
With runners on second and third, Jacob Miller delivered a two-out double that plated both McIntyre and Jackson, tying the game at two runs apiece.
Dylan Mulcahy took over for Kearbey to start the sixth and neither he, nor Ty Hamilton, who entered the contest with one out in the ninth, allowed a hit the over three innings of relief. Hamilton earned the win, improving to 1-0, while the Cats upped their record to 3-0. The save went to Sean Heppner, his first.
Nik Copenhaver tossed three innings of two-hit relief and was tagged with the loss.
