McEntire’s career day not enough as Express walk it off in extras.
101 North 35th Ave West Duluth, MN 55807 (218) 786-9909
Brendan Reilly, bgr28@miami.edu
Eau Claire, Wis.. – As the Huskies made the trip to Eau Claire in the second game of a home and home series with the Express, it took a while for the runs to start coming. It was a pitcher’s duel early on, as Eau Claire pitcher Ben Shepard and Duluth pitcher Will McEntire went blow for blow up until the seventh.
It was scoreless heading into the seventh inning, and then Huskies’ catcher, Cason Tollett, led the top of the inning off with a single, followed by a bullet up the middle by Ohio State’s Blayne Robinson, and Duluth had Ben Shepard on the ropes. Michael Brooks followed it up with an RBI single, and the Huskies were in full control. Coming off a 4-4 day, Ambren Voitik hit a sacrifice fly and Duluth was looking at their second straight win.
Will McEntire went out for the seventh pitching with a lead, and after going six strong innings of threehit baseball, striking out six, it was an error to lead off the inning and an ensuing walk that took McEntire out of the game and in came Michael Altman looking to get out of the jam. Altman battled but the Express did just enough to tie the ball game up and we were back where we started. Express relievers Nick Herold and Altman kept the ball game scoreless in the eighth and the ninth, and it led to free baseball in Eau Claire. With runners starting on second base in extra innings, the Huskies had first crack, but for the second time in six games, the Huskies could not push a run across. Then in the bottom half, the Express had runners on the corners and two outs, as Alejandro Macario was able to squeak a ground ball through the left side to walk it off for the Express.
The pitching staff for the Huskies were terrific, with the Express only mustering up four hits, but it was not enough as the Express spoil the Huskies first chance at a sweep.
The Huskies return to action tomorrow at Wade Stadium at 6:35, as they open up a two game home stand against the La Crosse Loggers, before hitting the road once again for a four game road trip.
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The Duluth Huskies are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Having completed its’ 27 th season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 22 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires and front office staff, over 250 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time All-Star and 2016 Roberto Clemente Award winner Curtis Granderson, three-time Cy Young Award winner and World Series Champion Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and World Series Champion Chris Sale (BOS). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and MLB Gold Glove finalist and 2019 Second Team All-MLB shortstop Marcus Semien (TOR). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website. All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League portal. For more information, visit www.duluthhuskies.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Huskies as your favorite team.
