THUNDER BAY – It was a mix of new and old that helped deliver the Border Cats third straight win on Sunday night.
Jackson Cooke, who has been with the team all season, hit an eighth-inning double to plate two runs, tying their game against the Duluth Huskies 6-6
Newcomer Garrett Sloan, making just his fourth appearance of the season, followed with an RBI single of his own, leading the Border Cats to a second straight come-from-behind win, a 7-6 road triumph over the Duluth Huskies.
The victory gave the Cats sole possession of top spot in the Northwoods League’s Great Plains East Division, at 4-1.
Thunder Bay jumped out to a 4-0 lead after four trips to the plate.
Cole Ketzner, with a sacrifice fly, and Riley Iffrig, with an RBI single that scored Zane Skansi from third, delivered a quick 2-0 lead in the first off Duluth starter Matt Juza. Hamilton singled in Jackson Cooke for another run in the second and Thomas Cooper raced home on a fourth-inning wild pitch.
A four-run cushion wasn’t nearly enough, however, to concern the Huskies.
Thunder Bay starter Adam Metivier, making his Border Cats debut, retired the first seven batters he faced and was throwing shutout ball through three innings.
He found trouble in the fourth, however.
With one on and two out, Duluth’s Joe Vos tripled to centre. Boots Landry followed with a single, cutting the Border Cats lead in half, to 4-2.
Max Coupe hit a one-out double off Metivier in the sixth, and he scored on a Charlie Sutherland single. Sutherland took third on an error by Cats centerfielder Ty Hamilton, and, with Peter Fusek on in relief, scored on Vos’ groundout to short, tying the game 4-4.
Duluth took its first lead of the night, a Fusek error allowing Reagan Reeder to score. Jayden Duplantier, who landed on third as a result of the miscue, came home on Cardell Thibodeaux’s single to left, giving the Huskies a short-lived 6-4 lead.
Fusek, despite giving up the two runs, earned the win, improving to 2-0, the save going to Tyler Jordan, who got out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth to preserve the win.
Albert Roblez lasted just a third of an inning, allowing three runs on three hits and two walks to take the loss.
The Huskies and Cats were tied atop the division heading into Sunday’s action at Wade Stadium. Duluth (3-2) slipped a game behind with the loss.
The two teams meet up again on Monday.
