Eau Claire WI – The Express sat down the Mud Puppies Friday Night, with a win over the Minnesota-based squad. The final score was 10-5 in Eau Claire’s favor.
The Express got right to work in the bottom of the first inning, using their eyeballs to produce some runs. The Express loaded up the bases early on with several walks, and a Reed Latimer (Montevallo) single. Minnesota’s starting pitcher, Jacob Mrosko, then walked runners in and struggled with command as he threw a wild pitch, which scored Latimer.
Mrosko’s struggles continued into the second inning, where he gave up another Express run. Eau Claire starter, Lance Lauve, on the other hand, looked sharp through 4.2 innings, dealing 8 strikeouts, on some gnarly breaking balls. Lauve only gave up 3 hits on the night, however, 2 of his 3 hits went for home runs from the Mud Puppies.
Eau Claire’s offense proved to be the stronger of the two, led by Player of the Game, Bronson Rivera (Hawaii), who went 1 for 3 with a homer and 2 RBIs. They also were able to count on strong showings from Latimer and Nate Witte (UW-Eau Claire), who had 2 RBIs of his own.
Tonight also was the first appearance of 2022-NWL All-Star, Matt Helwig (Lewis). The closer came in and squashed any hopes that the Mud Puppies may have had for late-game heroics. Overall the bats, and pitching combination of Lauve, Dillon Schueler (Sauk Valley CC), and Helwig proved to be a winning formula for the Express, who have now won back-to-back games.
They look to pick up a third consecutive win tomorrow (6/3) at Carson Park with the game starting at 6:35 p.m. CST. The Express will also be hosting Fan Fest at the park before the game from 2-5 p.m. Be sure to stop by for a fun-filled evening with the ball club!
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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’ 29th season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 22 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, 300 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.
