WATERLOO, Iowa – Here’s hoping some home cooking will help the Thunder Bay Border Cats turn things around.
The Cats lost 8-3 on Friday to the Waterloo Bucks, their sixth straight road loss to complete a six-game road trip, dropping their record to 2-10 in second half play.
A six-run eighth did in Thunder Bay in the finale of their stint away from Port Arthur Stadium, the Bucks breaking open a 2-2 game, loading the bases with no outs before the bats started rolling.
Brandon Fish singled home three, then with two outs and up 5-2, kept the rally going when Cole Hill doubled to centre to score Elliott Good.
Ben Wilmes followed with a double of his own off Cats reliever Griffin Cato, before Ben Gallaher struck out to end the inning.
But by then the damage was already done.
Thunder Bay’s Will Droll (0-1) took the loss, giving up five of the six runs in the seventh, surrendering four hits and three walks over 2.2 innings in relief of starter Evans Hendricks.
Luke Llewellyn, the fourth pitcher of the night for the Stingers, tossed 1.2 innings of no-hit ball and picked up the win, improving to 3-1. Aaron Savary got the start and allowed just two runs on five hits over five innings.
Logan Johnstone was 2-for-2 with two walks and an RBI for Thunder Bay, while Cole Ketzner was 2-for-3 with an RBI.
The Cats return home on Saturday, with Jack Pineau on the mound, to face the Mankato MoonDogs. A pre-game country concert starring Tim Albertson starts at 5 p.m.
