Huskies post three-run eighth inning to win series opener
Wyatt Kopelman – wmk23@miami.edu
Duluth, Minn — A three-run lead wasn’t enough.
The Duluth Huskies found themselves tied at five runs apiece entering the eighth inning.
But enough time remained for the Huskies’ lineup to mount a three-run frame and defeat the Rochester Honkers, 8-5, Sunday afternoon at Wade Stadium.
Right fielder Bobby Blandford (Fresno State) led off the eighth with a triple, turning into a game-winning RBI single from third baseman Devin Hurdle.
Once catcher Elie Kligman (Wake Forest) drew a one-out walk, second baseman Cam Frederick hit a sacrifice fly and left fielder JD Rogers doubled.
Duluth (9-4) padded its second multi-run inning and turned to right-handed closer Jake Christianson in the ninth. The Feather River College product collected two strikeouts in his second save of the season after striking out four batters versus Waterloo Wednesday.
But the Honkers’ lineup threatened in the seventh.
Scoring three runs, Rochester (5-7) capitalized on back-to-back bases-loaded walks and a foul out off Huskies reliever Michael Sarhatt.
The Huskies found a similar degree of momentum in the fourth, taking a 3-2 lead on a sacrifice fly and two straight RBI base hits.
With the victory, Duluth has won its last five home contests. Right-handed reliever Nolan Lebamoff (1-0) garnered the win and Honkers starter David Rodriguez (0-1) was tacked with the loss. Christianson tallied his second save of the season.
Up next, the Huskies return to Wade Stadium for Game 2 of its series versus Rochester. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.
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The Duluth Huskies are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Having completed its’ 28th season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 22 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires, and front office staff, over 280 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time All-Star and 2016 Roberto Clemente Award winner Curtis Granderson, three-time Cy Young Award winner and World Series Champion Max Scherzer (NYM), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and World Series Champion Chris Sale (BOS). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and 2019/2021 Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and 2021 All-Star, MLB Gold Glove winner and 2019 Second Team All-MLB shortstop Marcus Semien (TEX). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website. League games are viewable live at watchnwl.com. For more information, visit www.duluthhuskies.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Huskies as your favorite team.
