Eau Claire, Wis. – Trailing by a run with the bases loaded in the ninth inning, the Express could not get the job done.
Thunder Bay reliever Owen Thomson worked a strikeout and a groundout to escape the jam, securing an 8-7 victory in a back-and-forth ballgame to give the Border Cats the series sweep over Eau Claire.
Each side deployed a small ball approach to notch a pair of runs in the opening frame. Thunder Bay scored two on a walk, three singles and a sacrifice fly before the Express responded to tie the game on two walks, a single and a throwing error.
The Border Cats quickly scored two more in the second as Saturday’s hero Jordan Bach drove a pair in with a single to left field. The game seemed to have all the early makings of a barnburner as Eau Claire had the bases loaded in the bottom of the frame, but the home side couldn’t push a run across, allowing both pitchers to settle into the contest.
Neither side added on through the next 2.5 innings, with Express starting pitcher Josh Glaser (Texas State) taking over the game in the middle innings and dominating the Thunder Bay lineup. The Flower Mound, Texas, native worked cleanly through the fifth after the early onslaught, finishing his day with four earned runs on eight hits, including nine strikeouts.
Trailing 4-2, Eau Claire finally broke through in the home half of the fifth. Border Cats reliever Owen Millar struggled with command to start the inning, hitting two batters, walking another and allowing a run to score on a wild pitch to bring the Express within one before he was pulled from the game.
As the away side turned to the bullpen, Matthew Cormier (Cal State Northridge) stepped to the plate with two runners on looking to continue the rally. The 6-foot catcher lined a 2-2 pitch down the right-field line for what was initially ruled a fair ball and a two-RBI double, but the call was overturned after a meeting on the field between the umpires. The base runners headed back out onto the field and Cormier back to the plate, all for the Castro Valley, Calif., native to line the very next pitch down the left-field line for the two-run double he thought he had just minutes prior. The hit gave the Express a 5-4 advantage that would grow just one batter later as Ian Guanzon (San Joaquin Delta) singled to center field to bring Cormier home.
The lead did not last long for Eau Claire, as the Thunder Bay lineup quickly got to work to tie the game back up. Two walks, two singles and a wild pitch in the sixth allowed the Border Cats to dispel all the momentum the Express had built as the game was tied at 6-6.
The game remained knotted until the eighth, when Thunder Bay posted a two-run inning for the fourth time. Once again beating Eau Claire with small ball, the Border Cats earned a walk, two singles and an RBI groundout to put their noses in front 8-6.
After Dylan Dickert (Montevallo) worked an efficient ninth inning to keep the Express within striking distance, it was time for them to mount a comeback. Despite a flyout to center field to open the bottom of the ninth, Eau Claire quickly worked the bases loaded to allow JJ Moran’s (Stanford) walk to drive in the first run and push the tying run to third base. The rally ultimately came up short though, as Cormier and Guanzon each turned in unproductive at-bats to end the game.
The loss dropped the Express to 7-13 on the season. Next, Eau Claire heads on the road for a four-game set at Bismarck, a two-game series at Mankato and a lone game in Duluth to finish the road trip. The Express return home June 23 for the first of four consecutive games against La Crosse.
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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. 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.
