LA CROSSE, WI – The Loggers made Friday night a little sweeter as they beat the St. Cloud Rox 5-2. Fish was frying, live music was playing, fans were flooding into Copeland Park, and to top it all off the Lumberman snapped their twelve-game losing streak, the longest in franchise history. Fireworks were already on the schedule for the night, but the Logger win made them feel much, much deserved.
The Rox made some noise early. In the top of the first, Ike Mezzenga homered during the second at-bat of the game causing St. Cloud to jump out to an early one-run lead. Things would quiet down shortly as the Rox offense was silenced by Logger starting pitcher Eddie Berry (Rollins College) who was excellent in his 2023 debut going six innings strong with one earned run, five free passes, and five strikeouts. The Loggers would tie the game up in the fifth inning. Shortstop Gable Mitchell (Iowa) drove in a run with a single to center field.
Entering the bottom-half of the seventh, the Loggers were eager to give the faithful fans at Copeland Park something to cheer for. After three walks to begin the inning, a Gable Mitchell (Iowa) single would drive in two, making the score 3-1. Copeland Park erupted as fans cheered for the first late-inning lead for the Loggers in the month of June.
The St. Cloud Rox tried to answer in the top of the eighth. Two doubles would bring in one run to make the game 3-2. Reliever Brayden Sanders (Memphis) entered the game with the go-ahead run at the plate and shut down any hopes the Rox had of tying or taking the lead. The Logger bench cleared to congratulate their pitcher as he emphatically struck out Kyle Jackson to end the away half of the eighth.
The Loggers would plate two more insurance runs in the bottom half of the eighth to make the score 5-2. Brayden Sanders came on again in the ninth to shut the door on the Rox and secure the Logger’s first win in 13 games, and that is exactly what he did. After initially giving up two walks, a 6-5 fielder’s choice got the lead runner out at third for the first out. On the last play of the game, Sanders struck out Brady Prewitt for the second out and Logger catcher Dylan King (North Carolina) caught the Rox runner at first lacking as he fired to first baseman Ben Zeigler-Namoa (Hawaii) who applied the tag to end the game.
Once the cheers died down at the lumberyard, those that stuck around to watch the victory were treated to the first fireworks show of the season. Ask anyone at the stadium, there wasn’t a better night for Logger baseball and fireworks. We could get used to this!
