Duluth, Minn. – The Duluth Huskies held on to a 6-4 victory over the previously undefeated La Crosse Loggers in the conclusion of their first home series. Nick Terhaar earned the win with five one-run innings and Pierce Anderson picked up a save. The Huskies are now 2-4, and the Loggers lost for the first time to fall to 5-1.
Terhaar and Loggers starter Myles Dismute exchanged scoreless frames in the first and second, and the Huskies struck first in the third. Bjorn Lind hustled out a bloop double in his first at-bat of the season, and came around on an RBI knock from Anthony Cepeda.
The Dogs from Duluth plated two more in the fourth. Lind cashed in on a pair of walks by lashing a single to center. Gunnar Penzkover reeled a run back for the Loggers in the fifth with a solo homer to dead center. The home squad responded by jumping on reliever Trace Cameron in the bottom of the fifth, stringing together three hits to make the game 5-1. A ringing double from Reagan Reeder served as the capper.
Jacob Boland threw a perfect sixth inning in relief of Terhaar, and Vinhson Nguyen picked up his first hit of the season in the last of the sixth to drive in a sixth Huskie run. Boland gave way to Parker Thomas, who struck out five over the seventh and eighth stanzas.
The Loggers prolific offense – one that entered the contest leading the league in runs – finally sprung to life in the ninth. Eli Small beat out an infield single, and two free passes set up Penzkover to drive in two with a single to center. That chased Thomas, and Anderson had his number called with runners at first and third and just one out. Another run scored on a Kelsen Johnson groundout, taking the score to 6-4. Anderson plunked Jayden Garrison to put the tying run on base, but when Garrison tried to swipe second, Nguyen gunned him down to end the game.
Cepeda posted a 2-for-4 line, scoring once and driving in a run. Benji Kautto reached base twice and scored both times. Lind began his second season in Duluth with a pair of hits, a run, and two RBI.
Terhaar’s final line was 5.0 innings, two hits, one run, no walks, and four strikeouts. Boland fanned one in his lone inning. Thomas struck out five across 2.1 frames. He conceded three runs, all in the ninth. Anderson faced two batters and got two outs for his first Huskie save.
Penzkover went 2-for-4 with a homer and three RBI. Peyton Olds tossed 2.0 scoreless innings and fanned a pair of Huskies.
On Deck
The Huskies travel to Dickinson, N.D. to tangle with the Badlands Big Sticks, with the opening contest of a two-game series coming tomorrow at 6:35 p.m. Duluth then plays a pair against the Bismarck Larks before returning home on June 4 to host the Eau Claire Express.