DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth Huskies (4-9, 20-28) dropped their third consecutive contest, capitulating 11-1 to the Wausau Woodchucks (10-5, 31-14) who possess the league’s best overall record.
Duluth starter Manny Dorantes worked around a two-out error to deliver a scoreless first inning, and eased through a perfect second. However, he was matched by Wausau’s Gavin Kindell, who retired the first ten men he faced. Wausau put its first number on the scoreboard in the third, with Joey McLaughlin larruping a triple to right and scoring on an infield hit.
The visitors carded three more in the fourth, as DH Noah Malone snuck a two-run home run inside the left-field foul pole and a productive groundout from McLaughlin made it 4-0. Duluth finally solved Kindell in bottom of the fourth – Benji Kautto sliced a single to right, stole second, and scored on an RBI base hit by Kayden Campbell. However, after Dorantes was removed, the Woodchucks jumped all over reliever Mason Pound, plating three more runs in the fifth for a 7-1 edge.
Wausau posted an unearned run in the sixth and four insurance tallies in the eighth to coast to its third straight victory. Kindell earned the win with 5.0 two-hit, one-run innings, and Brayden Mazzacanno and Aiden Goodwin combined for 4.0 scoreless relief innings with eight strikeouts.
Dorantes took the loss after being tagged for three hits, four walks, and four runs in 4.0 innings. The right-handed recorded four strikeouts. Pound allowed three runs, two earned, in his inning of work. Pierce Anderson threw 1.0 inning, striking out two but conceding an unearned tally. Adam Kilburn saw three runs cross during his 2.0 innings. Dax Hardcastle made his first pitching appearance and fanned a batter in a scoreless ninth.
On Deck
Duluth and Wausau tangle in the second of four games between the teams tomorrow at 3:05 p.m. The Huskies will bus over to Wisconsin to meet the Woodchucks for two more at Athletic Park on Tuesday and Wednesday before concluding the Wisconsin trip with a double-header in Wisconsin Rapids.