Duluth, Minn. – The La Crosse Loggers topped the Duluth Huskies 5-4 on Friday night at Wade Stadium in Duluth to capture their first road victory of the young 2026 season and remained unbeaten at a perfect 5-0.
The visiting Loggers wasted no time getting on the scoreboard in this one as they crossed the plate three times in the top of the first off of Duluth starter Luke Harrington thanks to a pair of hits from Jayden Garrison (San Francisco) and Eli Small (Florida Atlantic) nestled around a trio of free passes.
Loggers starter Donavon Becerra (Texas Tech) was outstanding in his 2026 debut as he kept the Huskies at bay during his four innings of work, allowing just one run on four hits and he struck out four.
The Lumbermen added two more runs in the top of fifth after Small led off with a single that was followed by a double off the bat of Joey Senstock (Nebraska) and a two RBI single from Max Kalk (Ball State) to the Loggers a 5-1 lead.
Duluth would answer in their half of the fifth, plating two of their own off of Loggers reliever Adam Hayes (Texas Tech) to make the score 5-3 after five complete.
The score would remain that way until the bottom of the ninth when the Loggers handed the ball to closer Dalton Smith (Kansas). After issuing a lead-off walk to Benji Kauto, Smith would record a strikeout before Kauto would move up two bases on passed balls before a two-out sacrifice fly off the bat of Anthony Zarzana would bring the score to 5-4 with two outs. Duluth lead-off man Parker Kristall would reach via an error and Anthony Cepeda would walk to put the winning run on base before Smith struck our Jalen Smith to end it and secure the Logger victory.
Small led the 10-hit attack for the Loggers by going 4-5 with two runs scored to raise his season average to .619. Garrison and Kalk each added a pair of safeties as well.
The same two teams will meet again on Saturday at Wade Stadium in the series finale that is set for a 5:35 pm first pitch.