ST. CLOUD, MN – The La Crosse Loggers literally broke out the lumber on Tuesday night when they slugged their way to 7-3 victory over the St. Cloud Rox at Joe Faber Field in St. Cloud, Minn.<\/p>\n
The hosts jumped out early in this one when they scored a pair of runs in the second inning off Loggers starter Zach Pronschinske (UW-La Crosse), who was making his first start of the summer.<\/p>\n
The Loggers got one back in the third thanks to a RBI single from Braiden Ward (Washington) before St. Cloud answered right back with another run in the bottom of the third to take a 3-1 lead.<\/p>\n
The score would remain that way until the seventh when the Loggers bats awoke in a big way.\u00a0 After a pair of singles to open the frame, Steve Mann (Duke) would drive in a run with a RBI single.\u00a0 Then two batters later, Bryce Blaum (Texas A & M) would triple in a pair of runs before Harrison Freed (Butler) would add to his team-leading RBI total with a RBI single to ultimately give the Loggers a 5-3 lead after a four-run inning.<\/p>\n
The Lumbermen would continue in the eighth when two hits and a St. Cloud miscue would lead to another run increasing the Logger lead to 6-3.\u00a0 La Crosse would also tack on another insurance run in the ninth, thanks to a RBI double from Austin Murr (DMACC) to push the advantage to 7-3.<\/p>\n
Chase Whitaker (Merced CC) would come on to pitch the final three scoreless innings to record the save and make Pronschinske the winner.<\/p>\n
On the night, the Loggers offense pounded out 16 hits led by Murr’s four-hit night.\u00a0 Kyson Donahue (Arizona) collected three safeties while Mann and Blaum each totaled a pair of hits.<\/p>\n
With the win the Loggers improved to 16-9 in the second half and 33-27 overall.\u00a0 La Crosse will now return home to host the Thunder Bay Border Cats in a day-night doubleheader on Wednesday.\u00a0 The first game will commence at 12:05 p.m. with gates opening to the public at 11 a.m.<\/p>\n