Duluth, Minn. – The Eau Claire Express took game two of the series from the host Huskies tonight to salvage a series split. The Express posted a five run eighth to run away with an otherwise tight affair.
Neither starter was at their sharpest to begin the game. Eau Claire’s Mason Kinchen walked six in just 1.2 innings of work, needing 64 pitches before being yanked. He allowed two runs without conceding a hit, but reliever Tyler Bartley came on to strand the bases loaded in the bottom of the 2nd. Cale Haugen got the ball for Duluth and worked three innings, allowing two runs on four hits and two walks.
The Eau Claire offense responded in the top half of the third, plating two behind Hollon Brock and Landon Ubrig RBIs. Brock and Ubrig were the heroes of the game for the Express. Brock went 4-for-5 with two RBI and a run, while Ubrig was just 1-for-6 but provided the big swing, a two run double in the 8th to take a 5-3 lead.
The Express jumped ahead in the top of the fourth on a Brock RBI single. That lead held until the 6th, when Bjorn Lind battled with Brock Adamson, drilling a base hit to right field to tie the game at 3. After zeroes were traded in the 7th, Mikey Muniz pinch hit for CJ Varsho, who saw his seven game hitting streak come to an end. Muniz delivered with a one-out single which started a chain of five consecutive Express hitters reaching, all against Huskies righty Finn Furcht. The Ubrig double grabbed the lead for good before insurance runs pushed across by Jaxon Schumacher and Tommy Hanger.
The Huskies had no response, and an extra run tacked on in the 9th sealed the game for good. Eau Claire retied Duluth at 5-7 with the win and both teams trail the divison leading La Crosse Loggers by 2.5 games.
On Deck
The Huskies head to La Crosse for the second and final time this season in a crucial weekend series with La Crosse. They return home on Tuesday for a four game homestand against Bismarck and Minot.
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