Eau Claire, WI – In a tight matchup in game one of the playoffs, the Express could not get it done, losing to the visiting La Crosse Loggers 1-2.
The Express started by trotting out their All-Star pitcher, Isaiah Katz (UW-La Crosse), to begin the game. Katz gave his team five good innings, giving up just 1 run on 3 hits with 4 strikeouts. After Katz’s outing, it was Tanner Sagouspe’s (Cal Poly) turn. Sagouspe pitched well in relief, giving up no runs or hits through three innings of his own.
The Trains did more damage at the plate than they have as of late, recording 6 hits on the night. Eau Claire did a good job of putting the ball in play, but La Crosse’s infield was sharp, making several good plays to save hits and runs.
Temo Becerra (Stanford) had himself a day in the infield, making a handful of web gems on his own, including one leaping grab early to save a run, and curb the Loggers’ momentum.
The first run of the ballgame didn’t come until the bottom of the seventh inning for Eau Claire when Camden Ross (Western Kentucky) reached on an error and drove in Marcus Cline (Tulane). This knotted the game up at one apiece, where the score held going into the ninth inning.
In the top of the ninth, Trey Felker (Montevallo) entered the game in an attempt to close the door on the Loggers. La Crosse got one past Felker though, as an RBI single from Danny Neri.
Down by one, headed to the bottom of the ninth the Men in Orange were determined to put a crooked number on the board. The top half of the lineup did its part, using their eyeballs to get walks, and put men on. With the bases loaded, and two outs, the Express were not able to finish the job as the final out of the game was recorded on a strikeout.
The Express will look to keep their postseason run alive in their game at La Crosse tomorrow. It will be a do-or-die contest for the Trains, as they need to win two out of the three games in the series to advance. Follow along with the action tomorrow night by tuning into the game on ESPN+ with legendary play-by-play man Pete Knutson, or listen along on the radio to the silky-smooth voice of Noah Schwartz. First pitch will come at 6:35 pm CT and the game will be held at Copeland Park in La Crosse. Keep up Express fans, you won’t want to miss this one.
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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.