Riley Iffrig (pictured), stretches for a ball for an out at first base during Monday’s game against the Eau Claire Express.
The Thunder Bay Border Cats played their first game at Port Arthur Stadium in 18 days, and despite a holiday Monday crowd of 1,002, they were beaten 4-2 by the Eau Claire Express. The loss dropped the Cats second half record to 15-15 and they now trail the first place Express (18-12), by three games in the Great Plains East Division standings.
The Cats got on the board first in the bottom of the opening inning as Riley Iffrig (Indiana State University) hit a two-out double to score Peter Fusek (University of Wisconsin-Parkside), but Thunder Bay’s offence went silent against Eau Claire lefthander Evan Esch (University of St. Thomas) as he pitched into the seventh inning. The Express took a 2-1 lead with a pair of runs in the third inning and added single runs in the fourth and eighth innings. The Cats made it a 3-2 game in the last of the seventh, scoring a run on a passed ball, but they left the bases loaded to end the frame.
Max Ramirez IV (Niagara University) had another solid start on the mound for the Cats, but suffered his first loss as he record slipped to 6-1. The righthander struck out six over 7 1/3 innings and gave up seven hits and four runs, although only three runs were earned.
The Cats continue their six-game homestand on Tuesday with the second game of the four-game series against the Express. Adam Metivier (Piedmont University) is the scheduled starter for Thunder Bay with first pitch set for 6:35pm. The stadium ticket office opens on game days at 10:00am.
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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. Now in its’ 31st season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in history 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, 360 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, MLB All-Star, MLB Gold Glove winner and two-time All-MLB first team shortstop Marcus Semien (TEX). League games are viewable live on Northwoods League+ (at watch.northwoodsleague.com), ESPN+, and the Northwoods League Network. Learn more and find complete streaming schedules at watchnwl.com. 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 Border Cats as your favourite team.