LA CROSSE, WI – The La Crosse Loggers recorded their 25th victory of the season tonight over the Minnesota Mud Puppies, who remain winless in the second half.
Dylan Lapic (UT-Martin) served as an opener for the Lumberman, pitching 2.0 scoreless innings of no-hit ball. Drew Christo (Nebraska) built off Lapic’s success, earning his first win of the summer. The Nebraska product tossed 5.0 innings while allowing an earned run on 4 hits and 7 strikeouts.
With Christo on cruise control, the Mud Puppies failed to get much brewing offensively. They produced a string of runs in the 4th and 5th innings, coming on an RBI single from Kristofer Hokenson (Minnesota) and a pass ball which scored Alex Baumann (Minnesota-Morris).
Chad Fox (Minnesota-Duluth) was the opposing hurler and continued a negative trend for the Mud Puppies’ pitching staff. Fox surrendered 7 earned runs through 5.1 innings of work, adding to his team ERA of 7.18; the worst in the NWL. Ryan Hulke (Bismarck State) also got roughed up in relief, giving up two more runs in the late innings.
Spearheading the Loggers’ offensive attack was Connor Walsh (Rice), who went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Ronald Sweeny III (Minnesota) also had a strong performance, blasting a home run for the fourth consecutive game.
Both teams will face off again tomorrow at Copeland Park as they look to conclude their two-game series. At the ballpark, on-field entertainment will feature “Tyler’s Amazing Balancing Act”, as seen on America’s Got Talent and ESPN. The gates open at 4:00pm CT and the first pitch is slated for 5:05pm CT. Fans can watch live at https://northwoodsleague.com/watch-nwl/.
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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, over 295 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 at watchnwl.com and on ESPN+. For more information, visit www.northwoodsleague.com or download the Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play.
