Eau Claire, Wis. – A two-game sweep of the Rochester Honkers to begin the second half showed promise for the Express, but the Trains have dropped four in a row since.
Sunday’s matinee featured a litany of early runs without much action to follow, as Duluth held a 4-1 lead for the majority of the game before adding two insurance runs in the ninth to win 6-1. Eau Claire scored its only run of the game in the opening frame to take the lead but did not manage a hit after the second inning as the Huskies’ pitching staff proved effective throughout the afternoon.
Alex Hendrickson (St. Thomas) reached to start the game for the Express and moved to third base via a sacrifice bunt and a stolen base, setting up Quinton Coats (Cincinnati) with the opportunity to drive him in a few batters later. The designated hitter did just that, roping a single down the left-field line for an RBI double to give Eau Claire the early 1-0 advantage.
Duluth responded immediately with a pair of runs to take its first lead of the game. Two walks to begin the second inning put a runner in scoring position with no outs for designated hitter Tyler Palmer, who singled to left field to tie the game at one run apiece. Rowan Kelly grounded out to second base one pitch later to score another run and suddenly Duluth led 2-1.
The visitors continued to add on over the next couple innings, scoring one run in each of the third and fourth innings to build their 4-1 lead that they would hold for most of the contest. The Huskies manufactured their run in the third on a walk, a stolen base, a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly, while the run in the fourth came on another RBI for Kelly, this time on a single to right field.
Trailing by three, the Express managed occasional base runners on walks throughout the ballgame but could not notch another hit from the third inning on.
Dawson Hargrove (Arkansas State) was excellent out of the bullpen to keep Eau Claire within reach throughout the middle and late innings of the ballgame, but the offense could not capitalize. Working the fifth through eighth frames, the Spring Hill, Tenn., native threw four scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and striking out five.
Already holding a comfortable 4-1 lead, Duluth scored two runs on three hits in the ninth inning to go ahead by five runs and put the game out of reach.
The loss drops Eau Claire to 2-4 in the second half as the division-leading Huskies improve to 5-1. The Express stay at home for the next three days as they play a pair of games against Thunder Bay before taking on Minot in a double-header Wednesday.
Monday night’s game is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. as Eau Claire looks to get back on track against the Border Cats.
###
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.
