ST. CLOUD, MN – The La Crosse Loggers literally broke out the lumber on Tuesday night when they slugged their way to 7-3 victory over the St. Cloud Rox at Joe Faber Field in St. Cloud, Minn.
The hosts jumped out early in this one when they scored a pair of runs in the second inning off Loggers starter Zach Pronschinske (UW-La Crosse), who was making his first start of the summer.
The Loggers got one back in the third thanks to a RBI single from Braiden Ward (Washington) before St. Cloud answered right back with another run in the bottom of the third to take a 3-1 lead.
The score would remain that way until the seventh when the Loggers bats awoke in a big way. After a pair of singles to open the frame, Steve Mann (Duke) would drive in a run with a RBI single. Then two batters later, Bryce Blaum (Texas A & M) would triple in a pair of runs before Harrison Freed (Butler) would add to his team-leading RBI total with a RBI single to ultimately give the Loggers a 5-3 lead after a four-run inning.
The Lumbermen would continue in the eighth when two hits and a St. Cloud miscue would lead to another run increasing the Logger lead to 6-3. La Crosse would also tack on another insurance run in the ninth, thanks to a RBI double from Austin Murr (DMACC) to push the advantage to 7-3.
Chase Whitaker (Merced CC) would come on to pitch the final three scoreless innings to record the save and make Pronschinske the winner.
On the night, the Loggers offense pounded out 16 hits led by Murr’s four-hit night. Kyson Donahue (Arizona) collected three safeties while Mann and Blaum each totaled a pair of hits.
With the win the Loggers improved to 16-9 in the second half and 33-27 overall. La Crosse will now return home to host the Thunder Bay Border Cats in a day-night doubleheader on Wednesday. The first game will commence at 12:05 p.m. with gates opening to the public at 11 a.m.
