Eau Claire, WI – The Eau Claire Express (9-11) and the La Crosse Loggers (15-6) battled once again Friday night at Carson Park. The 1st inning scoring and 9th inning push was not enough for the Express as they were defeated 7-6 by the Loggers.
Striking first, the Express plated two in the 1st inning. Spencer Myers (Notre Dame) lead off with a single and stole second. Alec Trela (Memphis) reached on a hit by pitch. Scott Ogrin (Cal Poly) came up with a two RBI double to score both baserunners. Another run scored in the 4th. Noah Sifrit (Oklahoma State) walked and advanced to third on a Spencer Myers double. Cody Milligan (Oklahoma State) drove in the run with a sac fly to right.
Down 7-3, the Express made it interesting with a late inning rally. In the 8th, Nick Brueser (Stanford) gave the fans something to cheer for, crushing a solo home run over the left field wall. The 9th came with the Express down 7-4. Cody Milligan started with a walk and Alec Trela followed with an infield single. Milligan would score on an error by the Loggers’ shortstop. Scott Ogrin hit his second double of the day, moving Trela to third. Troy Beilsmith (Evansville) laced a single to left, advancing Ogrin to third and scoring Trela.
Express starter, Carson Rudd (Stanford) had a great outing for the home team. He went seven innings, giving up three runs on three hits and two walks. He faced the minimum in every inning except the 3rd and 7th. Trevor Olson (Xavier) entered in the 8th and received the loss after allowing two runs and not recording an out. Phillip Sikes (New Mexico) tossed an inning, giving up two runs (one earned) on one hit. All three outs he recorded came via the strikeout. Jimmy Fouse (Dallas Baptist) pitched a scoreless 9th inning, walking one.
Eau Claire travels to Bismarck tomorrow to begin a two-game set with the Larks. First pitch on Saturday the 28th is set for 6:05 pm and Sunday will have a 1:05 first pitch. They return home on Monday, July 30th for Changing Diabetes Night presented by Novo Nordisk. Fans will also be able to receive a complimentary chair massage from Paradise Massage while taking in an Express game!
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. Call us at (715)839-7788 to purchase your 5-Game Pack. 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.