Duluth, Minn. – The Duluth Huskies knocked off the Minot Hot Tots 6-3 in Friday night’s contest to climb to 8-10 and earn a series split. Minot falls back to .500 at 9-9.
It was an emotional night at Wade Stadium, as the Huskies honored recently passed Dale “Hoagie” Haagenson, an assistant clubhouse manager for the Huskies for over 20 years. Haagenson was a fixture for Duluth for the team’s entire existence and was beloved by the community. There was a featured pregame ceremony that included numerous speeches by those who knew Haagenson best, including field manager Marcus Pointer and third-year Husky Reagan Reeder. Haagenson’s double zero jersey was retired by the team and will be hung up with a plaque outside the clubhouse.
Once the game got underway, Duluth was the better team from the jump. The home side posted four runs in the first inning, thanks to a Bjorn Lind RBI double and run-scoring singles by Jalen Smmith and Benji Kautto. Duluth chased Minot starter Ethan Blakeney after just two thirds of an inning. Blakeney allowed all four of the first inning runs and struck out two while walking three before exiting, earning the loss.
The pitching staff took over from there for Duluth. Nick Terhaar made his third start of the season for the Huskies and was excellent, pitching five shutout innings and allowing just one hit and four walks while striking out six. It was the second win at home for Terhaar this season, lowering his season ERA to just 1.64 across 11 innings. Luke Holcomb needed just 12 pitches to get through two innings out of the bullpen, but struggled in the eighth with a 6-0 lead. He allowed the first three hitters to reach on a single, HBP and a walk before allowing a bases-clearing three-run double by Andrew Clapinski, who finished the series 5-for-8 with three doubles and five RBI.
Ben Llewellyn got the final two outs of the eighth and one in the ninth before the ball went to Pierce Anderson for a save. Anderson walked two to load the bases after one by Llewellyn, but got Clapinski to strike out looking an end the ballgame. The save was Anderson’s third, which moves him to a tie atop the Northwoods leaderboard.
Lind and Kautto each had multi-hit days in the win, while Smith picked up his 22nd RBI, to extend his lead on 2nd most in the league. The Huskies pitching staff allowed just three hits and issued eight walks, holding Minot to three runs for the second consecutive game.
On Deck
Duluth travels to Rochester to take on the Honkers in a weekend series, the first two of eight meetings between the two teams. Following the drive southward, the Huskies return home for a five-games-in-four-days homestand, with two against Thunder Bay, a scheduled doubleheader against the Minnesota Mud Puppies and the front end of a home-and-home tangle with Eau Claire. That homestand begins Monday and concludes Thursday and tickets are on sale now. You can catch all Huskies action, home and away, on FloSports.