WATERLOO, Iowa – Talk about giving one away.
The Thunder Bay Border Cats on Friday night took a 9-5 lead into the ninth inning. But then disaster struck.
The host Waterloo Bucks scored five unanswered runs and walked off the Cats for a 10-9 triumph.
Ian Halvorsen and Christian Smith had back-to-back two-run hits, Halvorsen blasting a double to cut the Thunder Bay lead to 9-7, Smith a single that tied the contest at nine runs apiece.
Tagger Tyson then singled home pinch runner Luke Finn to win it for Waterloo.
All the damage came with two outs off Border Cats reliever Kobe Allen.
Thunder Bay jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the fourth, but the Bucks fought back with three of their own in the bottom of the inning off Thunder Bay starter Adam Metivier, who went six innings, giving up four runs on eight hits and a walk.
Griffin Catto took over in the seventh and went an inning and two-third, allowing one run on three hits.
At the dish, Sam Stem was 3-for-4 with three runs scored and two RBI. Riley Iffrig drove in four and had a double and a single in four trips to the plate.
It was the second of 14 straight the Border Cats will play on the road, their home scheduled interrupted by the Women’s World Baseball Championship that starts at Port Arthur Stadium on July 28.
The Cats (11-7) did maintain a hold on first place in the Northwoods League’s Great Plains East Division, after Rochester (9-7) fell 12-2 to Eau Claire on Friday night. Thunder Bay travels to Rochester on Saturday for a game, scheduled to start at 6:35 p.m. CDT. Tuner Spoljaric is scheduled to start for the Border Cats.
Thunder Bay’s next home game is on Aug. 5.
