LA CROSSE, Wisc. – After a one-night absence, the Thunder Bay Border Cats are back in the win column.
They’re also back alone in first place in the Northwoods League’s Great Plain Division.
The Cats on Saturday night broke open a one-run game, scoring four in the top of the seventh and went on to down the La Crosse Loggers 8-3 in a game delayed more than an hour by stormy weather and lightning in the area.
Patrick Engskov hit a two-run double to cap off Thunder Bay’s seventh inning barrage. Trey Lewis also had a pair of RBI, collecting two hits and a walk in four plate appearances
Thunder Bay jumped out 3-0 in support of starter Michael Pirrello, Tyler Kehoe and Lewis contributing run-scoring singles. Kehoe later scored on a balk called on La Crosse starter Austin Klug, who only lasted two innings, giving up four hits and three runs before being lifted for Kenan Elarton.
Having snapped the Border Cats seven-game winning streak the night before, the Loggers made every effort to extend the Cats losing streak to two, climbing back to even ground in the bottom of the second, Michael Dixon II blasting a three-run home-run that tied the game 3-3.
But the Border Cats took the lead for good in the fourth when Kehoe scampered home from third on a wild pitch.
It remained a one-run game until the seventh, though by then Border Cats manager J.M. Kelly was long gone, tossed for arguing with the home-plate umpire
Relievers Billy Humphrey, Sawyer Barron an Cole Poirrier allowed just two hits over the final seven innings, not surrendering a singe run. Humphrey (3-0), who pitched two innings of one-hit ball, was awarded the win, while Elarton took the loss, tossing the wild pitch that scored Engskov in the fourth.
Thunder Bay (14-9) and La Crosse (8-17) play Game 4 of their set on Sunday at 6:05 p.m. (EDT). Matthew Tippie is expected to pitch for the Border Cats.
Thunder Bay holds a one-game lead over Duluth, who lost 10-9 to Eau Claire, Eau Claire (14-11) and Rochester (15-12), who edged Willar 5-4 in 13 innings.
