Eau Claire, Wis. –The Eau Claire Express fell to the La Crosse Loggers, 2-1, in today’s home opener. It was a gorgeous day for baseball, but the Express struggled to put runs on the board as La Crosse’s pitching didn’t let up.
The first 5 innings went very quickly at Carson Park. Express starter Trevor Olson (Xavier) put away loggers left and right. However, he ran into trouble in the top of the 6th, and the Express could not come back. The Loggers scored both their runs in the form of bases on balls. Jordan Holladay began the inning with a walk, followed by a strikeout by Grant Judkins and a fly out by Ryan Mantle. With two outs, Brandon Raquet walked. Isaiah Davis (Fresno State) came in to relieve Olson, but he could not find the strike zone either. After two batters faced and yet two more walks, Davis was replaced by Phillip Sikes (Fresno State). Sikes quickly ended the inning, but the damage was already done, with two loggers scoring in the inning.
Even with the electricity of more than 2,000 fans, the Express bats could not fire up. Struggling to come up with hits, the Express’ lone run was unearned. The Loggers’ pitching staff tossed a spectacular game, only allowing four hits and striking out 18.
Eau Claire will finish the home stand, tomorrow, June 2nd against the Duluth Huskies. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35. They will then travel to Duluth for one game before making the trip to Canada, playing a two game set against Thunder Bay.
Season tickets and 5-Game Packs are on sale now. 5-Game Packs include a reserved seat, Express jersey, Express hat, Express mug, and unlimited food and beverage for $70. Click here to purchase your 5-Game Pack online and we will contact you about your seats. You can also call us at (715)839-7788. Jersey sizes will be available on a first come, first serve basis.
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The Eau Claire Express are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Now in its 25th anniversary season, the Northwoods 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 190 former Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist (CHC) and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (BOS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET) and Curtis Granderson (TOR). 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.