Thunder Bay, Ont. – In a quick game that lasted just over 2 hours and 15 minutes, the Express picked up a win over the defending Thunder Bay Border Cats with a final score of 8-0.
The Express jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in the top of the 1st inning, largely thanks to a 3-run blast from hard-hitting Infielder Ryan Nagelbach (UIC). This blast was his team-leading 6th homer of the season.
The bats kept rolling for the trains when Bronson Rivera (Hawaii) and Tanner Sagouspe (Cal Poly) each drove in a run. Rivera’s bat was hot in this contest, as he again drove in another pair of runs just two innings later on a home run of his own. The scoring stopped in the top of this inning for both teams, but it was enough to seal the deal for the visiting Express, as their pitching held strong to finish the game.
Pitching was a huge asset for Eau Claire, as starter Jake Matthaidess (Oakland) worked his way through 7 shutout innings giving up 6 hits with 4 strikeouts. This performance was strong enough to earn him the win on the night, as he set the tone, and sat down Border Cats all game long.
The Express will travel back down stateside to face the Duluth Huskies this Friday at 6:35 pm CT. Tune into the game on 106.7 – Moose Country or check out the live stream on the Northwoods League website.
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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 Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Now in 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, over 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). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website. League games are viewable live at watchnwl.com and on ESPN+. 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.