THUNDER BAY – For the first time this season, the Thunder Bay Border Cats have fallen back to .500.
The Cats, playing on the road, spotted the La Crosse Loggers a 4-0 lead on Monday night and went on to an 8-3 defeat, slipping to 13-13 on the season and dropping 3.5 games behind their first-place opponent, with just over a week left in the first half.
Matthew Miura and Case Sanderson hit back-to-back RBI singles in the third to power the Loggers to a four-run lead.
Thunder Bay was able to get one back in the top of the fourth, but the run was a sign of the times for the Border Cats, counting on a rally-killing double play off the bat of Ty Brooks.
The Cats did cut the gap to 5-3 in the sixth when Zane Skansi scored on a Brody Chrisman sacrifice fly, but the Loggers tacked on a pair in the seventh, including a leadoff home run by Derrick Mitchell, and added an insurance run in the eighth, handing Thunder Bay its 11th loss in 14 games.
The loss went to Julian Parson, who couldn’t escape the second inning, giving up four runs on six hits and a pair of walks.
La Crosse starter Michael Debattista was tagged for all three runs and lasted six innings, surrendering five hits and four walks. He also hit a batter. Jed Decooman and Ozzie Martinez didn’t allow a hit over three innings of relief.
The Cats travel to Eau Claire to start a two-game set on Tuesday night.
