ROCHESTER, Minn. – Jackson Cooke continues to swing a hot bat.
The Thunder Bay Border Cats catcher, who took a turn at designated hitter on Saturday, homered with the bases loaded in the first inning against Rochester starter Nathen Nino, helping propel the Cats to a 12-5 triumph.
Thunder Bay (12-7) has opened a game-and-a-half lead over Duluth in the race for the Northwoods League’s Great Plains East Division crown.
Cooke, the son of former NHLer Matt Cooke, now has six home runs on the season, tied for the most on the team with Cole Ketzner, and upped his RBI total to 32 – in just 26 games.
The Cats led 4-0 after their first turn at bat, but starter Peter Fusek was touched for three runs in the bottom of the inning, giving up a three-run shot to Grant MacArthur.
Cooke drew a bases loaded walk in the third and Keegan Garis later scored on a sacrifice fly to make it 6-3 Thunder Bay.
Reiss Calvin homered to start the Honkers half of the third, cutting the Border Cats lea to 6-4. Rochester closed the gap to one in the sixth with reliever Bode Gebbink on the mound, but Thunder Bay got that back in the eighth, then sealed the victory with a five-run ninth.
Trey Fikes, Brayden Kuriger, Garrett Sloan and Ty Hamilton had RBI singles to put the game away.
Fusek lasted 4.2 innings, giving up four runs on seven hits and two walks, while striking out four. Gebbink and Ryan Vondracek allowed just one run the rest of the way.
Nino took the loss, responsible for six runs on four hits and four walks.
The Cats piled up 13 hits and drew nine walks against Nino and relievers Matthew Lighthall and Alex Miller.
It was the first win in three tries for the Cats on their current 14-game road trip. For the Honkers, the loss was their fifth in a row.
They’ll try again against the host Honkers on Sunday. Game time is 6:05 p.m. EDT.
