Eau Claire, WI – The Express faced adversity in a tough contest vs. the visiting Duluth Huskies Friday night but held on strong to win 6-3.
Lance Lauve (Southeastern Louisiana) and his distinctive motion took the mound to start the night for Eau Claire, and he looked sharp through 5 innings, giving up 2 runs on 4 hits. He also added 3 strikeouts to his tally, and his solid performance earned him the win for the night.
At the plate, the Express were led by Reed Latimer (Montevallo) and Nate Witte (UW-Eau Claire), who each had 2 hits and 2 RBI to their name.
The Eau Claire squad recorded 7 hits tonight, but the big reason they were able to put runs on the board was due to their selective plate appearances. They were helped out by some wild pitching from the Duluth staff, which dealt 3 Walks, and 5 Hit By Pitches, which allowed runners on base in some key situations.
Closer Matt Helwig (Lewis) was tapped in the top of the 9th to seal the deal for the Express, who already owned a 6-3 lead. Helwig came in and showed why he is so often used in these positions, striking out the first batter in a commanding fashion. Things started to go south for him though, as his second batter singled to center field. He then walked a batter to put two men on. By striking out the 4th batter of the inning, he put the Express within one out of ending the game. But again gave the Huskies hope, as he walked the next batter to load the bases up with 2 outs in the top of the 9th.
Helwig was unphased though, as he struck out the last batter of the night with all 2302 fans in Carson Park on their feet to cheer him on.
The Express will be on the road tomorrow night for a game against the Thunder Bay Border Cats at 6:35 p.m. CST. Be sure to tune in to the game on the Northwoods League Website!
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The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Entering its’ 30th season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 24 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, 325 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time All-Star and 2016 Roberto Clemente Award winner Curtis Granderson, three-time Cy Young Award winner and World Series Champion Max Scherzer (NYM), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and World Series Champion Chris Sale (BOS). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and 2019/2021 Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and 2021 All-Star, MLB Gold Glove winner and 2019 Second Team All-MLB shortstop Marcus Semien (TEX). League games are viewable live for FREE via the Northwoods League website at watchnwl.com as well as select games on ESPN+ and ESPNU. For more information, visit www.northwoodsleague.com or download the Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play.
