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Eau Claire, WI- In his first start with the team this season, Aaron Shortridge cashed in one of the best Express pitching performances of the year, leading Eau Claire 8-0 over the Rochester Honkers.
Picking up their third win in a row the Express looked dominant on both sides of ball, scoring eight runs on eight hits while Shortridge and reliever Ben Butler combined for a one-hit shutout of the Honkers.
Shortridge, a returner from 2016’s division-winning Eau Claire squad, was masterful on the bump through seven innings, allowing just two Rochester batters to reach base while recording seven strikeouts. Butler, a lefty out of San Jacacinto College, entered the game in the eighth to bring this one home, holding the Honkers hitless through the contest's final two frames.
It’s almost a shame Eau Claire’s pitching staff performed so well on a night the offense didn’t necessarily require them to do so. The Express bats pounded Rochester starter Chia-Ching Ho (0-1) for six runs on five hits and four walks before he was yanked in the fourth.
Coming off Tuesday’s five-RBI performance, Justin Evans went 2-4 with three RBI in this one, once again heading the charge offensively for Eau Claire. In the midst of his recent hot streak at the plate Evans has raised his seasonal batting average up to .250, while also jolting out ahead for the team-lead in RBI with 16.
Making his Express debut Wednesday night, Cal Poly infielder Scott Ogrin arrived with a three-hit performance, including a two-run double in the fourth. Later in the evening, Ogrin flashed some defensive ability at second base, making this nifty glove-flip play to retire the side in the top of the fifth.
The Express will return to Carson Park Thursday night to finish up this stand with the Honkers before the two teams head to Rochester Friday. Gates open at 5:35 PM, with Lane Ramsey (0-1) set to deliver the first pitch for Eau Claire at 6:35 PM.
The Eau Claire Express are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The 23-year-old summer collegiate league is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 20 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, more than 170 former Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including two-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champion Ben Zobrist (CHC) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (BOS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET), Curtis Granderson (NYM) and Lucas Duda (NYM). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League portal. For more information, visit www.eauclaireexpress.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Express as your favorite team.
