BOX SCORE – Express 10, Huskies 9 

The Duluth Huskies blew a seven-run lead in the final two innings in a crushing, 10-9, defeat against the Eau Claire Express Friday night at Wade Stadium. 

The defeat brought the Huskies (22-22, 5-5) back to .500 in heartbreaking fashion and gave the Express (18-25, 3-5) a win they hope can get them back on track. 

Through seven innings, the Huskies led the contest, 7-2. The offense was awake from the word go. First, the discipline took center stage. The Huskies drew five free passes and scored without a hit in the first. In the third, the Huskies mixed a couple of hits in with a few walks and added four more. Vos walked with the bases loaded for his second of three RBIs. Jake Downing and Brady Sullivan each knocked home a run. The Huskies led, 5-0, through three. 

In the top of the fourth, the Express got a couple back. But, it felt like Duluth put the game to bed in the middle innings. They scored three in the fifth and one in the sixth to lead, 9-2. Downing extended his hit streak out to 10 games. All the Huskies needed to do was get to the finish line. 

The felt finality of the result by many in the building was partly due to the dominance of Joshua Butler on the mound for the Huskies. He dazzled through seven innings of two-run ball, surrendering just a single hit and striking out six batters. Unfortunately, it would not be good enough. 

The occasion of his departure for the eighth turned out to be cause for a parade. Unfortunately for the Huskies, it was a hit parade. 

The Express ambushed Huskies reliever Miguel Villafane over the next couple innings. They got a couple back in the eighth. Then, in the ninth, they erupted for six runs. In 12 batters faced, Villafane allowed seven runs and seven hits, with a walk mixed in there as well. Albert Roblez came in with the Huskies up two, but by then the train was already roaring down the tracks. Nothing could stop it.

The Express got the two tying runs off of a double from Brady Reynolds that snuck by a diving Brady Sullivan in right field. One batter later, a sac fly gave the Express the lead. 

The Huskies went quietly in the ninth, giving the Express a comeback victory. All told, the Express, held to one hit through seven, had eight hits and eight runs in the final two frames. The game marked the largest blown lead for the Huskies on the season. 

Up Next 

The Huskies will get a chance for revenge and to clinch the series in the series finale on Saturday night. It’s Bark in the Park Night at the Wade, and the game will begin at 6:35 pm CST.