THUNDER BAY – A four-run sixth inning proved to be the difference on Saturday as the Thunder Bay Border Cats captured a second straight Northwoods League contest over the visiting Duluth Huskies.
Carter Allen and Tyler Kehoe had run scoring doubled in the sixth, Thunder Bay extending a 3-2 lead to 7-2 at the time, earning Canadian reliever Jacob Gajic his first win of the season and helping the Border Cats improve their second-half record to 8-17 in a 7-4 triumph.
Allen finished 2-for-3 on the night with a pair of RBIs, while Kehoe was 1-for-4.
Karson Shepherd drew the start for Thunder Bay and lasted 4.2 innings, giving up two runs, one of them earned, on seven hits and a pair of walks.
Gajic entered with one out in the fifth and went four strong, also allowing two runs, surrendering six hits and striking out five.
James Joyce started for the Huskies, tossing one scoreless inning before giving way to reliever Liam Thompson (1-1), who was victimized for five runs in 4.1 innings of work.
Brandon Compton led the way offensively for Duluth (16-9), homering as part of a 3-for-5 night. Calyn Halvorson also went deep for the Huskies, who fell four back of La Cross in the hunt for a second-half Great Plains East title.
Peter Fusek recorded the final out of the night to pick up the save for Thunder Bay.
The Cats and Huskies wrap up their four-game, home-and-home set with a 1:35 p.m. start on Sunday, again at Port Arthur Stadium.
