Behind strong starting pitching and home run power, the Duluth Huskies defeated the Thunder Bay Border Cats, 6-4, in the series finale at Port Arthur Stadium Monday afternoon.
The Huskies (8-6) scored runs on just two swings, both via the long ball. Duluth jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the second inning on a grand slam from Brady Sullivan. A day after the bottom third of the Huskies order went 7-for-13, it was the bottom third of the order again who came through, this time from Sullivan out of the nine spot.
AGGIE AMBUSH 😤@AggieBaseball's Brady Sullivan's first home run of the summer is a big one: a GRAND SLAM to give us an early lead!
B2 | Huskies 4-0 Thunder Bay #EmbraceTheHowl | @NWLbaseball pic.twitter.com/qWNR1IfWfH
— Duluth Huskies (@DuluthHuskies) June 10, 2024
The Border Cats (10-4), in front of a raucous 2,853 of screaming children on their Education Day, spent the rest of the game playing catch up. They mustered two runs against Huskies starter Cale Haugen, who was fantastic for the Huskies. He went seven strong innings of two-run ball, scattering eight hits, striking out three and most importantly, did not walk anyone. Once Haugen departed, things started to open up for Thunder Bay.
Myles Standish was first out of the pen for Duluth and he lasted just one out in surrendering the 4-2 lead on an error and two singles. Caden Kratz came in and slammed the door shut from there, stranding two Border Cats on and keeping the game tied entering the ninth.
The Huskies ninth inning was one of the stranger half innings you’ll ever see. The Huskies picked on Border Cats shortstop Greg LaChance, as he booted three ground balls in a row. On the first two, left-handed pitcher Garfield Johns bailed him out as he picked off both Cardell Thibodeaux and Jayden Duplantier. Cole was the third to reach in the inning. Then, with two outs, MJ Sweeney came up and belted a two-run, go-ahead home run to give Duluth the lead, 6-4.
MJ. SWEENEY. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
Left-on-left, with two down in the ninth, MJ Sweeney gives the Huskies the lead back with a 2-run home run!
B9 | Huskies 6-4 Thunder Bay #EmbraceTheHowl | @NWLbaseball pic.twitter.com/8mwR3HxUMv
— Duluth Huskies (@DuluthHuskies) June 10, 2024
Last out of the pen, Charlie Dohemann came in for the ninth and finished the job for Duluth.
With the win, the Huskies earned a split with the Border Cats in the six game series and sit in third place, two games back in the Great Plains East Division. Up next, the Huskies welcome the second place team in the division, La Crosse, to the Wade for two as they kick off a four-game homestand.
