Rochester, Minn (July 4th, 2013)–The 2nd half of the 2013 season in the Northwoods League began on Thursday as teams and fans alike celebrated the birth of the nation. The nation’s pastime was celebrated throughout the country, and in the Northwoods League this meant a relatively clean slate to start anew.

In Wisconsin, the Woodchucks swept a double-header from the Battle Creek Bombers. After having a rough first half of the season, the ‘Chucks got off to the best start possible with a 2-0 record and a half game lead on everyone else.

In Waterloo, the Bucks continued their 2nd half right where the first half left off. With a 5-3 win over Rochester, the Bucks continued a theme that was present throughout the first half by defending home turf in the win.

La Crosse 12, Wisconsin Rapids 5

The Loggers used 16 hits and five errors by the Rafters to plate 12 runs in Thursday’s game. Johnny Bekakis (Long Beach State) went 3/6 with two RBI and two runs scored in the win. His teammate Michael Katz (William and Mary) was 3/6 with a run scored and three RBI.

Lakeshore 9, Green Bay 4

The Chinooks scored in six different innings as they won easily over the Bullfrogs on Thursday. The ‘Frogs did not play fundamental baseball as they committed four errors and gave up six walks, which all helped lead to five unearned runs, which was the difference in the game.

Duluth 5, St. Cloud 4 (F/12)

The Huskies played quite a bit of extra baseball in the first half, and they got to it right away in the 2nd half as well. After getting up 4-0 after two innings, the Huskies lost their lead by the end of the 6th. After the lead was lost, the game was scoreless until the Huskies were able to push across the winning run in the 12th.

Wisconsin 7, Battle Creek 6 (Game 1)

With a 6-4 deficit heading into the bottom of the 8th, it looked like the Woodchucks were destined for another loss, which would have been much like the 1st half. However, the ‘Chucks were able to plate a trio of runs in the bottom of the inning and come away with a victory in the first game of the 2nd half.

Wisconsin 5, Battle Creek 4 (Game 2, F/7)

If Thursday is any indication of things to come in the rest of the season, then winning could be a theme for the Woodchucks in the 2nd half. With a win in game two of the double-header, Wisconsin clinched a sweep. While there were no truly great individual performances, solid efforts from multiple individuals led to a couple of team wins.

Eau Claire 12, Madison 5

After winning the first half, Madison looked to continue its solid season. However, that did not occur on Thursday as the Express used a pair of five run innings to down the Mallards in the 2nd half opener. The Express scored 12 runs on nine hits and their pitching staff recorded 11 strikeouts in the convincing win over the first-half champions.

Waterloo 5, Rochester 3

Unlike the Mallards, the Waterloo Bucks grabbed a win in their first game following a first half championship. Grant Borne (Nicholls State) started the game and went five innings as he surrendered just a pair of earned runs. He was followed by a great effort of the Bucks’ bullpen, which went four innings and surrendered no runs on three hits while striking out six.

Alexandria 10, Willmar 9

After getting a 2-0 lead early, the Blue Anchors gave up a seven run 4th inning, and it looked like Alexandria was in store for more of the same from the 1st half. This time, however, the Blue Anchors rallied and won the game behind a pair of four run innings in the 7th and 8th.

Mankato 6, Thunder Bay 5

The MoonDogs got up 6-0 after seven innings and then got a bit of a scare in the 8th. The Border Cats scored all five of their runs in the inning as they pushed the MoonDog lead to just one run. Kahana Neal (University of the Cumberlands) threw seven shutout innings while allowing just two hits and striking out four in the win.

Friday Schedule:

Eau Claire vs. Madison- 4:05 (Game 1)
Eau Claire vs. Madison- 7:05 (Game 2)
Battle Creek vs. Wisconsin- 6:35
St. Cloud vs. Duluth- 6:35
Rochester vs. Waterloo-7:05
Wisconsin Rapids vs. La Crosse- 7:05
Lakeshore vs. Green Bay- 7:05
Mankato vs. Thunder Bay- 7:05