Duluth, MN- The Express (17-10 Second Half, 32-31 Overall) put up three runs in the top of the tenth to finish off the Duluth Huskies (14-14 Second Half, 29-34 Overall) by a score of 9-7 in extra innings on Wednesday night.
Eau Claire starter Drew Gillespie (New Mexico) (3-3) allowed six earned runs over five and two-thirds innings pitched as the freshman struggled to find the zone for the majority of the contest, issuing seven walks on the night.
Fortunately for the Express, recent roster additions Isaiah Davis (Fresno State) and Caleb Willems (UW La Crosse) (1-0) picked up the slack out of the bullpen, holding the Huskies to just one run on two hits from the sixth frame to the end of the ball game.
Davis tossed a scoreless inning and a third in the sixth and seventh, striking out four Duluth hitters while walking none. Willems would handle the final three frames, striking out two and walking one on his way to earning the win.
With his team down 4-6 in the top of the eighth, Eau Claire left fielder Zach Ashford (Fresno State) came through in the clutch when he ripped a two-run double to tie the game up at six runs apiece.
In the top of the 10th, the Express would score the winning run on a balk that allowed right fielder Daytona Bryden (UW Whitewater) to trot home from third, before adding two additional runs on a groundout by center fielder Zach Gilles (Central Michigan) and a run-scoring wild pitch.
Eau Claire will get the day off tomorrow before returning to Carson Park on Friday night for the second leg of this home-and-home set with Duluth. That matchup is scheduled for 7:05 PM, with the Express tabbing Ryan Zimmerman (St Thomas) (3-2) as their starter on the mound.
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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 23-year-old summer collegiate league is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 20 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, more than 180 former Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including two-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champion Ben Zobrist (CHC) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (BOS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET), Curtis Granderson (NYM) and Lucas Duda (NYM). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League portal. 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.