THUNDER BAY -- Thunder Bay's Jack Pineau has his first Northwoods League win.
The right hander, bound for Creighton University in the fall, tossed six innings of three-hit, shutout ball on Wednesday night, leading the Thunder Bay Border Cats to a 6-3 win over the visiting Eau Claire Express.
The two teams entered play atop the Great Plains Division, with five days left in the season's first half.
Pineau struck out four and walked just two, evening his record at 1-1.
Patrick Engskov led the way offensively for Thunder Bay, going 2-for-4 with a double and three RBI.
Logan Johnstone had two hits in three at bats, driving in a pair.
Eau Claire starter Tyler Schmidt gave up five runs, three of them earned, over three innings and was saddled with the loss
Thunder Bay scored two in the third, three on the fourth and added one more in the fifth. Eau Claire got to Cats reliever Griffin Cato, who came on to start the seventh.
Catto gave up three runs, pitching to eight batters in the innings, before Tanner Carter got him out of the jam, striking out Tanner Sagouspe.
The Border Cats lead Eau Claire by a game, Duluth by 1.5 games and Rochester by two
