Mankato, Minn. – The La Crosse Loggers rode the strong arms of the pitching staff and a 5-RBI night from Chris Calico (UW-La Crosse) en route to a 6-1 victory over the host Mankato MoonDogs on Friday night in front of 1,731 fans at ISG Field.
Loggers starter Sahil Patel (Ohio State) locked horns in a classic pitchers duel with Mankato starter Luke Ballantyne (Biola) as both pitchers kept the game scoreless through five innings. Patel would exit after the fifth, having not allowed a single hit, walked six and struck out five but would not factor into the decision.
La Crosse broke the scoring seal in the seventh when Calico came up with two on and two out and blasted a three-run home run deep over the left field fence to give the Loggers a lead they would never relinquish.
Mankato would threaten the eighth, plating one run to cut the deficit to 3-1 before Tracen Cameron (Florida International) worked out of a jam with a strikeout to send the game to the ninth where the Loggers would break it open with three more runs on five hits, including a 2-RBI triple from Calico.
Calico led the 12-hit attack for the Lumbermen with those two hits and 5 RBI’s. Kelsen Johnson and Max Kalk also recorded a pair of knocks as well.
Mason Beltrand earned the win in relief, striking out four over two innings.
With the win the Loggers improved to 11-6 and will now head to Wisconsin Rapids for a Saturday evening affair before returning home on Sunday to host the Rafters.