The Thunder Bay Border Cats waited out over a two-hour rain delay on Monday night and then poured it on Duluth, blanking the Huskies 8-0 at Port Arthur Stadium.  The Cats finished the first half of the Northwoods League season with a 16-18 record and now trail the Huskies 5-3 in the 12-game season series for the Superior Cup.

Cats starting pitcher Matteo Pare (Troy University) was the story of the night as the righthander from Lasalle, Ont., turned in a gem on the mound.  Pare pitched 6 1/3 innings of no-hit ball and lost his no hitter when Duluth’s Blake Eckerle (University of Minnesota) doubled down the left field line for the Huskies first hit.  Pare went seven solid innings, allowing just the one hit, with one walk and eight strikeouts, as he evened his record at 1-1.  Judd Hildreth (Murray State University) and Reid Leonard (University of New Orleans) both pitched a scoreless inning in relief to complete the one hitter and the shutout.

The Cats broke the game open with a five-run second inning and added a single run in the fifth and two runs in the bottom of the seventh.  Dante Smith (North Dakota University) finished a home run short of the cycle as he tripled, doubled, and singled, while driving in two runs and scoring twice.  Colin Fisher (University of Houston) also had three hits and a run scored and Stevie Waters (University of British Columbia) raised his average to .330 with a 2-for-5 night with an RBI and a run scored.  Logan Groh (University of Nebraska) added two hits and two runs batted in as the Cats upped their home record to 13-5.

The second half of the schedule begins Tuesday when the Cats continue their four-game homestand with the first of a two-game set against the Rochester Honkers at 7:05pm.  Braden Gluth (North Dakota State University) is the scheduled starter for Thunder Bay.  Fans can enjoy a post-game fireworks show on the eve of Canada Day.