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Eau Claire, WI – In another long game against Bismarck, the Express got down early but battled back this time winning 10-9.
The game was played in just under 3 and a half hours, yet for the Eau Claire faithful, it likely didn’t feel that long. The first two innings saw Eau Claire’s starting 2 pitchers give up 6 runs. However, the Express were doing their part at the plate, bringing in one run in each of the first 4 innings of play.
They were helped out when Cort MacDonald (Stanford) and Kaden Galason (Belmont) each hit a solo home run early on. They also were supported when their relievers came to play, as new arm Caden MacDonald (Michigan) looked sharp through 4 innings, giving up zero runs.
Galason kicked off a 3-run bottom of the 9th for the Express when he took a hit-by-pitch on the arm with bases loaded to walk men in. Two more Trains scored when DJ Massey (Central Arizona) smoked a double out to left field, tying the game at 8 apiece.
This gridlocked score sent things to extra innings, where each runner started with a man on 2nd, per Northwoods League rules. Bismarck did their part in the top of the 10th, bringing the runner home and giving them the lead 9-8.
Eau Claire gritted its teeth, and dug in their heels in the bottom of the very same inning though, as they loaded up the bases. This was thanks in large part to a Bronson Rivera (Hawaii) double that drove in ghost runner Ryan Nagelbach (UIC).
After Nagelbach crossed home, the Express again found themselves with the bases loaded. This time, there was one out with the winning run standing just 90 feet from home. As Galason stepped to the plate, he poked a ball toward the shortstop. The shortstop fielded and fired home to get the lead runner but Bismarck catcher, Robby Harrison, mishandled the ball. This gave Dylan O’Connell (Central Arizona) a sliding-headfirst walk-off run.
With this win over the Larks, the Express snap their 7-game losing streak. They will look to stay in the ‘W’ column in their next series vs. the Honkers. The first game will be held in Rochester at Mayo Field, with first pitch coming at 6:35 pm CT. Tune into the game on 106.7-FM Moose Country or on iHeartRadio, or watch the two teams in action 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.
