Kenneth Sugi (pictured), drove in the winning run in the top of the ninth inning as the Border Cats moved to 3 and 0 on the season with a comeback victory Wednesday in La Crosse.
The Thunder Bay Border Cats remain unbeaten to start the Northwoods League season. The Cats moved to 3 and 0 on Wednesday night as they clawed back from a 2-0 deficit to cut down the Loggers 4-2 in La Crosse, Wisconsin.
Kenneth Sugi (Missouri University of Science & Technology,) broke a 2-2 tie with an RBI single in the top of the ninth inning and the Cats added another insurance run for their third straight road triumph. Sugi finished 2-for-4 at the plate as the North Vancouver, BC., native raised his average to .385. After falling behind 2-0 in the second inning, Thunder Bay tied the game with a pair of runs in the top of the sixth, on a wild pitch and a run scoring single by Jacob Miller (Jefferson College). Miller from Oshawa, ON., also had two hits on the night.
Shane Kearbey (University of Missouri-St. Louis) started for the Cats and the southpaw allowed two hits over five innings. Canadian lefty Ty Hamilton (University of Utah) got the win in relief by getting the final two outs of the eighth inning while Sean Heppner (University of British Columbia) struck out two in the bottom of the ninth for his first save.
The Cats conclude their four-game road trip Thursday in Lacrosse. Japanese righthander Kansai Sugimoto is the scheduled starting pitcher for Thunder Bay with game time set for 7:35pm ET.
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The Thunder Bay Border Cats are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Entering its’ 31st season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 26 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires, and front office staff, over 350 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time All-Star and 2016 Roberto Clemente Award winner Curtis Granderson, three-time Cy Young Award winner and World Series Champion Max Scherzer (TEX), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford (STL) and World Series Champion Chris Sale (ATL). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and 2019/2021 Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and 2023 World Series Champion, 2021 and 2023 All-Star, MLB Gold Glove winner and two-time All-MLB first team shortstop Marcus Semien (TEX). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website. League games are viewable live at watchnwl.com and on ESPN+. For more information visit www.bordercatsbaseball.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Rockers as your favorite team.
