The Thunder Bay Border Cats enjoyed some home cooking, kicking off six straight contests at Port Arthur Stadium with a victory over the Mankato MoonDogs.
The Border Cats plated two runs in the first to draw first blood, taking an early lead en route to a 6-3 win on Friday.
Jordan Bach (University of Kansas) was the Cwench player of the game for the Border Cats, going 2-for-2 at the plate, while also reaching base with a walk and hit by pitch, scoring twice and driving in one run. Cwench is the official hydration partner of the Border Cats.
Lucas Johnson (Eastern Michigan University), Manny Alberto (Georgia Gwinnett College), and Corey Morro (University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma) each drove in a run in the winning effort.
Jackson Irwin (Bellarmine University) picked up his fourth win of the campaign out of the bullpen. George Hansen (University of Wisconsin-Whitewater) collected his second save, throwing three-plus scoreless innings.
Bach leads all qualified Northwoods League hitters with a .448 batting average. Alberto leads the Border Cats with 29 RBI on the campaign, with Bach sitting at 28 RBI. Both are in the top-five in league leaders in that category.
Thunder Bay’s first half record now stands at 19-12.
The Border Cats conclude their two-game series against Mankato on Saturday before continuing their homestand with four against the Waterloo Bucks. It’s the first Season Ticket Redemption Night of the year. Unused season tickets can be used for single-game tickets for Saturday night’s game.
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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.