THUNDER BAY, Ontario – The Duluth Huskies (10-15, 26-34) snuck by the Thunder Bay Border Cats (6-17, 22-35) in a 1-0 pitcher’s duel. Cole McCombs dazzled in his first Northwoods League start, twirling 6.0 shutout innings. The win takes Duluth to the verge of capturing the Superior Cup.

Thunder Bay left-hander Vincent Segovia retired the first 15 Huskies he faced, while Duluth’s McCombs stranded five runners over six innings to keep the Cats off the board. McCombs got a strikeout in the second to keep a runner at second base, and flyouts in the fourth and fifth to leave runners in scoring position. Segovia finally allowed a hit to Duluth in the sixth, but kept the Americans at zero with two groundouts. McCombs finished his outing with a perfect sixth, while Segovia hit the showers after a one-two-three seventh.

Relievers Devin Costa and Ethan Froud kept the game scoreless through eight innings before savvy baserunning finally pushed a tally across. Brayden Smith took a hit-by-pitch with two strikes and was singled over to second by Kayden Campbell. Smith stole third, and Campbell followed intentionally slowly to second. Thunder Bay threw behind Campbell to retire him at second, but the Husky infielder stayed in a rundown long enough for the speedy Smith to take off for the plate and beat a throw home. Smith’s odd path to the pentagon would prove to be the game’s only run, as Costa threw the ninth and did not allow a Cat to reach.

McCombs concluded his banner day with 6.0 innings pitched, five singles scattered, just one walk, and a season-high seven strikeouts. Costa submarined through 3.0 nearly flawless innings, earning the win while allowing just one baserunner. Isaiah Ibarra went 2-for-3 with a double, the only Husky with a multi-hit game and the only player with an extra-base hit.

Segovia took a hard-luck no-decision despite throwing 7.0 two-hit, nine-strikeout, shutout innings.

On Deck

The Huskies meet the Border Cats again tomorrow at 5:35 p.m. Central Time. A win in that game would hand the Sup Cup back to Duluth for the first time since 2023.