Eau Claire, Wis. – The Trains are officially rolling.
On a rainy night in the Chippewa Valley, the Express played one of their most complete games yet this season to capture a 7-2 win in the second game of a home-and-home series against Rochester. Starting pitcher Nate Vela (Winona State) posted another excellent outing and Alex Hendrickson (St. Thomas) and Matthew Cormier (Cal State Northridge) added home runs to guide Eau Claire to victory.
A clean first inning from Vela set up the Express bats, and Hendrickson capitalized immediately. The Hastings, Minn., native launched the third pitch he saw over the porch in right field to open the scoring with a leadoff homer.
The Honkers added a pair in the fourth on a bases-loaded walk and a run-scoring single, but Eau Claire answered immediately. A single from Ian Guanzon (San Joaquin Delta) and a double from Jackson Glueck (Pima) put two runners in scoring position, allowing a balk and a wild pitch to bring both runs across the plate. Another run came across in the fifth on a Rochester error, giving the Express a comfortable 5-2 lead.
As the Eau Claire offense consistently created traffic and pushed runs across, Vela worked quickly through the Honkers’ lineup. Inning-ending double plays in the first, second and fifth frames helped the Greenville, Wis., native assemble his quality start that ultimately got him his second win as a member of the Express.
With Rochester still within shouting distance, Cormier put Eau Claire out of reach in the seventh. The Castro Valley, Calif., native lined a ball to left field that never got very far off the ground but was hit hard enough to clear the wall and bounce off the light tower for a three-run home run to put the Express up 7-2. It was Cormier’s first big fly as a Train.
New addition Max Arlich (Arizona State) relieved Vela in the seventh and worked effectively over the next three innings. The Woodbury, Minn., native allowed just one base runner with an eighth-inning walk but was otherwise flawless, striking out one and allowing no hits to pick up the nine-out save.
The home win gave the Express a sweep in the home-and-home series with Rochester, the second of the season for Eau Claire.
Game 1 at Mayo Field was an exciting one as the Express took down the Honkers 11-7 in 11 innings. Eau Claire led 5-3 heading into the bottom of the ninth before Rochester plated two to tie it and send the game beyond regulation. The Express scored six runs in the 11th to take the extra-innings victory comfortably.
Miller Green (Western Kentucky) and Kenny Fistler (Alma) excelled on the mound in the win while Glueck and McGwire Turner (Montevallo) led the way offensively with three RBIs apiece.
The Express stay at home for the weekend as they host Thunder Bay. Game 1 is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. Saturday night before the Sunday matinee wraps up the home stand. Eau Claire is 1-3 against the Border Cats this season.
###
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. Entering its’ 32nd season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in history 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, nearly 2400 NWL alums have been drafted and over 380 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 (TOR), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford and World Series Champion Chris Sale (ATL). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and 2019/2021 Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and 2023 World Series Champion, MLB All-Star, MLB Gold Glove, two-time Silver Slugger winner and two-time All-MLB first team shortstop Marcus Semien (TEX). League games are viewable live on Northwoods League+ (at watch.northwoodsleague.com), ESPN+, and the Northwoods League Network. Learn more and find complete streaming schedules at watchnwl.com. 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.
