Eau Claire, WI – The Eau Claire Express (4-11) could not come back against the Willmar Stingers (8-7) tonight as they fell 5-4. It was another night of defensive errors and lack of timely offense that caused the Express to struggle.
Spirits were high in the Express dugout as Justin Slaten (New Mexico) took the mound to start the game. The dominate starter had yet another commanding start, going five innings and allowed two runs on four hits and two walks. Slaten recorded nine strikeouts in the game. Colton Hale (Illinois-Springfield) would enter in the 6th inning and would give up three runs on three hits and one walk over the course of two innings pitched. Tyler Strzelczyk (MATC) would finish the game for the Express, going one inning.
The Stingers scored first in the 4th inning off a Caleb Ricca home run. Cal Elvers would score on a wild pitch in the bottom of the 5th. Three Stingers, Davis Elliot, Keanu Dizor, and Cal Elvers would score due to an Express error in the 7th inning.
Eau Claire’s offense got things going in the top of the 5th inning. Garrett Gouldsmith (New Mexico) began with a double. Spencer Myers (Notre Dame) reached on an error which allowed Gouldsmith to score and tie the game. A come back in the 9th inning fell just short for the Express. Ryan Bishop (Ballas Baptist) lead off the inning with a walk and Devon Garcia (Ohio) got on base due to an error by Willmar’s third baseman. Bishop advanced to third and scored on a wild pitch in the next at bat. After a pitching substitution, Myers would walk and Cody Milligan (Oklahoma State) hit a single, scoring Garcia. Myers followed Garcia across home plate after an error by the left fielder.
The Eau Claire Express will finish the road trip with one final game in Willmar. They return home on Thursday, June 14th for a 6:35 pm first pitch on Teacher Appreciation Night. The game is presented by the Career Development Center and Express T-shirts will be given away to fans (while supplies last)!
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.