A two-out, two-run bases loaded double by Greg LaChance (University of Illinois) in the ninth inning gave the Thunder Bay Border Cats a comeback victory over the Waterloo Bucks.
The Border Cats split their two-game series in Iowa with a 4-3 win at Waterloo’s Riverfront Stadium on Friday night, snapping the home side’s seven-game winning streak.
The Bucks spent the night being referred to as the Iowa Sweet Corn, debuting their alternate moniker and special jerseys that will be used on Friday home games this season.
Down 3-0, the Border Cats’ bats woke up in the eighth, with LaChance and Jeremy Sheffield (Georgetown University) both notching run-scoring doubles.
Trailing by a run in the ninth and down to their final out, LaChance hit a bouncing ball down the third-base line that plated the tying and winning runs for his second double of the contest. LaChance finished the game going 2-for-5 with 3 RBI.
Thunder Bay reliever Carter Wall (University of Utah) worked two and a third innings of scoreless relief to pick up the win. Closer Jackson Hohensee finished the game off in the bottom of the ninth to pick up his second save of the campaign.
The Border Cats’ record now stands at 6-5.
The Border Cats are now bound for Wisconsin, with the first of two games against the La Crosse Loggers on Saturday. Right hander Isaac Hines (Ave Maria University) is the expected starting pitcher for Thunder Bay. The Border Cats will return to Port Arthur Stadium on Monday, hosting the Eau Claire Express. First pitch of that game is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.
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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’ 32nd season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in history with 24 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, nearly 2400 NWL alums have been drafted and over 380 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 (TOR), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford 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, two-time Silver Slugger 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.