Rough Start Hampers Border Cats Bid to Sweep Doubleheader

By Lance Jones

The La Crosse Loggers recovered from being shut out in the morning to score early and control the game on the way to an 8-4 win over the Thunder Bay Border Cats in game two of a day-night doubleheader. The Loggers lost the matinee affair 7-0 but jumped out to an early 6-0 lead in the night cap and never looked back.

Loggers clean-up hitter Brady Allen (South Carolina) picked up one of his two runs batted in on one of his two doubles to score Cody Jefferis (San Diego) in the first inning staking La Crosse to an early lead.

Loggers Starter Jon Meyerring (Miami (OH)) gifted the Cats an opportunity at a big inning in the first courtesy of two walks and hit batsman. However a double play would end the threat.

Then the lumbermen went chopping after Border Cat Starter Joey Hecht (Daytona St.) in the second. They loaded the bases and Jefferis hit a bases clearing double into the ally in right centre to make it 4-0. Back to back RBI doubles by Brett Hawkins (Young Harris) and Allen chased Hecht from the game.

It was all the run support Meyerring would need. Meyerring would run into his only other trouble in the fourth. Jordan Larson’s (Northern Illinois) double following Ryne Edmondson’s (Houston Baptist) beaning got the Cats a head start in the inning. Nick Seamons (Nevada-Reno) would plate Edmondson with a single for his first run batted in of the season. Andrew Shebloski (Saint Mary’s-CA) hit a sac fly to pull the game closer to 6-2. Thomas Grilli (Panola C.) picked up his third run batted in of the series on a ground out to cut the deficit in half.

Meyerring (1-0) would pick up the win however, striking out three, walking three, to go with three hits and three earned runs allowed.

Thunder Bay Reliever Lucas Reid (Sacramento City C.) was on a mission impossible. His mission was to keep the Cats in it. After coming in to strike out Trey Torain (George Washington), the ninth hitter to come to the plate for the Loggers in their big second inning, Reid clearly chose to accept his mission. His job gave the Cats a chance to comeback. He retired 16 straight batters from when he entered in the end of the second up to Hawkins’ double to lead off the eighth. Hawkins would score on Kyson Donahue’s (Arizona) single through the hole on the right side of the infield to get La Crosse back in the runs column. Reid finished with seven strikeouts of 21 batters faced in 6 1/3.

Jefferis would nail a double down the third base line in the top of the ninth to score Vinni Massaglia (Illinois Central CC) for a Logger insurance run to make it 8-3 off of Austin Kern (Minot St.).

Hard throwing Jared Freilich (Penn St.) though would keep the Cats offense off balance trying to match Reid’s bagels on the board. He struck out three over four innings for his third save of the season. Thunder Bay would tag him for two runs in the ninth. Grilli would collect a run scoring double in to score Alexander Hernandez (Nova Southeastern) who doubled to start the inning. Jake Engel (Dixie St.) potted an RBI single, but the rally was too little too late.

The four game series wraps up on Thursday night with first pitch at Port Arthur Stadium slated for 7:05pm. Thunder Bay will send lefty Mark Anderson (Lafayette C.) (0-0 2.46 ERA) to the mound to try and pick up a series split. The Loggers will counter with Mason McMahon (UW-La Crosse) (1-1 8.84) making his third start. It is Thirsty Thursday featuring $5 Tall Boys from Sleeping Giant Brewing Company. It is also Retro Hat Night at the stadium with the first 250 through the gates nabbing themselves a souvenir hat.