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Published On: August 8th, 2017

Box Score | Virtual Guide

Eau Claire, WI- With July’s nine-game winning streak still fresh in the minds of players and fans alike, the Eau Claire Express (21-10 Second Half, 36-31 Overall) extended their current consecutive victories run to five games, after topping the Bismarck Larks (12-19 Second Half, 28-38 Overall) 5-4 at Carson Park Monday night.

With the score knotted up at two runs apiece in the bottom of the sixth, Express right fielder Devon Garcia (Ohio) reached base on a throwing error that allowed center fielder Daytona Bryden (UW Whitewater) to score from third. Shortstop Josh Norlin (Dallas Baptist) followed that up with an RBI single to extend Eau Claire’s lead to two.

Bryden would be back in the bottom of the seventh to drive in a runner from third on a sac fly that would end up being the deciding run in this one. The aforementioned base runner was catcher Garrett Wolforth (Dallas Baptist) whom launched a solo homer onto the fan deck in right field earlier in bottom of the fourth.

Starter Luke Eldred (Dallas Baptist) (4-2) got back into form after a rough outing in his last appearance by tossing seven innings of two-run ball. The freshman struck out four and walked just one over 29 batters faced en route to being named the Marshfield Clinic Player of the Game.

With just one of his allowed runs tonight being earned, Eldred lowered his seasonal earned run average to 3.27, the lowest mark put up by any Express starting pitcher this season.

Eau Claire will be off tomorrow, as will the rest of the Northwoods League, with several players traveling to Madison to participate in this year’s Major League Dreams Showcase.

Luke Bandy (Dallas Baptist), Kenny Ogg (Ohio), Zach Ashford (Fresno State) and Jake Sommers (UW Whitewater) are the Express players who will be auditioning in front of MLB scouts on Tuesday.

The team will return to Carson Park on Wednesday to finish off this two-game series with Bismarck. That game is scheduled to begin at 6:35 PM, with Drew Gillespie (New Mexico) (3-3) penciled in to make the start on the mound for Eau Claire.

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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 180 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.