The Thunder Bay Border Cats leave Wisconsin with a split in action at Carson Park winning 4-3 over the Eau Claire Express.

The Thunder Bay Border Cats (17-31, 3-10) stopped the North Division leading Eau Claire Express (25-22, 9-5) 4-3 in action at Carson Park in Wisconsin. Robb Paller (Columbia University) scored the game winning run on a sacrifice fly to left by Tyler Rolland (Southern Illinois) in the 6th inning. Ben Allison (Belhaven) also pitched two shutout innings to stop the Express from making the comeback.

Sal Taormina (Kean University) went 2-4 with a run scored to lead the Cats. Rolland and Paller each went 1-3 and drove in one run and scored once, while Paller picked up his 11th double of the campaign. Ty Blankmeyer (St. John's University) also went 1-3 and collected an RBI.

Eau Claire were led by the bottom of the order, with 9-hitter Brady Burzynski going 3-3 with a triple and a run scored. Backstop Brian Mundell went 2-4 with a run scored. The top five in the Eau Claire order were kept at bay by Border Cats pitching going 0-18 with six walks and an RBI.

Allison picked up his first save allowing just one hit and putting three Express down on strikes, working with a one-run lead to get the final six outs. Devin McLemore (Winston-Salem State) took the win out of the pen (2-3) working 1 1/3 shutdown baseball, striking out one. Starter Zach Speer (Trinity University) had a few borderline pitches not go his way and walked five, but he showed great battle instincts as he only allowed one run on two hits, striking out two with a no decision.

Express starter CJ Eldred worked six innings and was unfortunate to take the loss (2-3). He allowed all four runs, three earned on seven hits striking out four. Miles Nablo and Aron McRee did not allow a hit in the last three innings as they gave Eau Claire every chance to win the game.

Three consecutive hits to start the Top of the 6th inning put some distance between Thunder Bay and Eau Claire. With the Cats up 2-1, Cory Kay (Missouri State) got things going on a single, then the next hitter Paller doubled to plate Kay. Christian Correa's (Nicholls State) base hit put runners on the corner before Rolland flew out to left to score Paller.

The Express would ground into a double play and hit a sacrifice fly to plate runs in the 7th and 8th (before Allison entered) to make things close but that would be it as Allison closed it out.

The Border Cats are back home to start a four game homestand on Thursday night. They welcome in the Mankato MoonDogs (29-22, 8-7) to TBaytel Park with first pitch slated for 7:05pm. Righthander Ryan Powers (Miami-Ohio) is scheduled to take the mound for the Cats. Powers is 1-1 with a 4.50 ERA and leads Thunder Bay with 26 strikeouts. The MoonDogs have 6'7" Mitchell Traver as their probable starter. The Freshman righty is 0-1 (3.68) making his his second start of the summer. Tonight is also PGA Tour Canada Night, with the first 50 fans through the gates receiving a tourney day pass to the Staal Foundation Open at Whitewater GC and a chance to win a full weekend pass to the event.