The Duluth Huskies (14-15) dropped a hard-fought pitcher’s duel to the Eau Claire Express (18-10) at Carson Park on Friday by a score of 1-0.
Garrett Brown (4-6) went punch-for-punch with Express starter and workhorse Gerry Salisbury (5-2) for the most part. Each team only mustered four hits apiece, but a Kyle Marinconz solo shot in the fifth proved to be the one that mattered.
Brown started the day off by surrendering a leadoff walk to Eau Claire center fielder Zach Gilles, who added to his team-leading stolen base total with his 25th of the year. Stranded at third at inning’s end, he would be the last man all game to reach third until the fifth inning. Brown settled down and retired twelve straight before surrendering a leadoff homer to Marinconz in the fifth.
The Huskies mustered two hits on two separate occasions, once in the second and once again in the seventh, but Salisbury proved dominant, keeping up his velocity and command through nine scoreless frames.
Trevor Smisek, Jacob Trujillo and Victor Santana combined for two innings of shutout relief when Brown was pulled after the sixth.
The Huskies continue their road trip with a two-game set against another first-place team in the Willmar Stingers on Saturday at 7:05. Gaylon Viney (3-3) is scheduled to go for Duluth against Connor Herd (1-1) for Willmar.
