LA CROSSE, Wis – The Loggers fell to the Minnesota Mud Puppies last night in a 12-8 slug-fest. The shootout consisted of 9 extra-base hits, 6 of them being home runs. Sadly, the loss moves the Loggers back to 1 game behind the Duluth Huskies in pursuit of the playoffs.
This game was the exact opposite of last night’s bout as there was plenty of offensive action in this one. The Loggers struck first in the bottom of the 2nd with a Ronnie Sweeny (Minnesota) solo home run. That lead did not last long though, as the Pups hit a 3-run home run to take a 3-1 lead in the 4th. It didn’t take long for the Logs to change that though; in the bottom of the 4th Chase Davis (Arizona) went to the opposite field for a 3-run home run to snatch the lead. In the 5th, the Mud Puppies ran away with it, scoring 5 runs off of 3 home runs. The Loggers made it interesting in the 7th though, as they scored 4 runs to bring it within 1, but the Puppies added 3 insurance runs in the 8th to seal the deal.
After having a 7-game span with a 2.90 ERA, the Loggers pitching struggled last night. Emmett Olson (Nebraska) was given the start; he went 4.1 innings and struck out 3 while giving up 5 runs. The Loggers then exhausted the bullpen, bringing in 4 more pitchers, including Caleb Matl (UW-La Crosse) who made his Logger debut on the mound. Olson was ultimately given the loss, with Minnesota starter Bryce Crabb earning the win. Matt Tappe also came in for the Pups and got his 1st save of the year.
This may have been a disappointing loss, but there were some Loggers who had noteworthy nights at the plate. Ronnie Sweeny was the MAN yesterday, going 2-3 with a home run, 3 RBIs, 2 walks, a stolen base, and 3 runs scored. Julian Brock had his second multi-hit game in a row, going 2-3. Finally, Chase Davis hit his 4th home run of the year while going 1-3.
The Loggers now welcome the Eau Claire Express into Copeland Park for a 2 game series. This series carries some weight as the Express are only 1 game behind the Loggers in overall standings. ROLL LOGS!
