DULUTH, Minn. – The Thunder Bay Border Cats brought the go-ahead run to the plate on Thursday night but came up short in a 6-5 road loss to the Duluth Huskies.
Peter Fusek grounded out to second with Tyler Kehoe standing on third in the top of the ninth, sending the Cats to their 17th second-half loss in 23 games.
The Huskies jumped out in front 3-0, scoring twice in the second and adding a single run in the third off Thunder Bay starter Robert Spencer, who went 4.2 innings, giving up four runs on eight hits and a walk.
The Border Cats rallied back with four of their own in the fourth against Duluth starter Austin Humphries, ending his night.
Ryder Hernandez homered with Kehoe aboard and none out to open the fourth. Karson Krowka walked and Fusek singled, setting the stage for Trey Lewis’ RBI single that drew the Border Cats even, the scored tied 3-3.
Thunder Bay jumped in front on Cole Ketzner’s two-out single to centre, but the 4-3 lead lasted two turns at bat by the Huskies.
After Adrian Davis was thrown out at the plate trying to score on a Jared Mettam double, Mettam scored on a Raymond Vazquez sacrifice fly and the game was tied 4-4, a score that held until the seventh, when Brylan West singled to left, scoring Velazquez with the run that put the Huskies in front for good, Michael Pirrello on the mound for Thunder Bay.
Jacob Gajic came on in relief and got Calyn Halvorson to ground out to second, but Brandon Compton scored on the play to give the Huskies a 6-4 advantage.
Pirello (1-1) took the loss, the win going to Duluth’s Isaac Rohde and the save to David Stich.
The Cats and Huskies wrap up the U.S. portion of their four-game series on Friday night at Wade Stadium and head to Port Arthur Stadium on Saturday and Sunday to finish it off.
