THUNDER BAY – In front of 710 fans at Port Arthur Stadium, the La Crosse Loggers triumphed over the Thunder Bay Border Cats with a 14-2 victory in a seven-inning game.
Brendan Moody, starting pitcher for the Loggers (Louisiana at Lafayette), delivered an impressive complete game performance allowing only two runs on four hits and struck out five batters.
Meanwhile, Thunder Bay’s starting pitcher, Turner Spoljaric from Oregon, pitched 4.2 innings, conceding five runs on nine hits.
The Loggers wasted no time in setting the tone, scoring early in the first inning and adding more in the third. Ryan Kucherak (LSU) contributed an RBI single, and RJ Hamilton (Vanderbilt) drove in another run with a fielder’s choice groundout.
Thunder Bay made an effort to close the gap in the bottom of the fourth with a Sam Stem RBI double and an RBI groundout by Brayden Kuriger, bringing the score to 3-2 in favor of the Loggers.
However, the Loggers extended their lead with two additional runs in both the fifth and sixth innings. RJ Hamilton hit a two-run double to center field in the fifth, and Luke Anderson (BYU) followed with a two-run single to right in the sixth, making it 7-2.
The Loggers sealed their victory with a seven-run explosion in the seventh inning. RJ Hamilton hit an RBI double to left, Elijah Ickes added an RBI single, Matt Miura contributed with a sacrifice fly, and Luke Davis hit his second grand slam of the year, bringing the final score to 14-2.
This victory boosts the Loggers’ overall record to 26-20, while Thunder Bay falls to 26-21. The Loggers currently lead the four-game series, having won two of the first three games. The final game of the series is scheduled for tomorrow at 5:35 p.m. in Thunder Bay.
