The Thunder Bay Border Cats used a big first inning Thursday to knock off the league leading St. Cloud Rox 13-6 on Pride Night at Port Arthur Stadium.  The Cats erupted for six runs in their first at-bat as they improved their overall record to 8-9 and their home mark to 7-2. The Rox, who came into the game with the highest win total in the Northwoods League, dropped to 12-5.

Logan Groh (University of Nebraska) singled to drive in the Cats first run, two batters into the game, and Alex Kean (Morehead State University) slashed a two-run double to key the opening inning outburst.  The Cats tacked on three more runs in the last of the fifth and a pair of runs in both the sixth and eighth innings, including a solo home run off the bat of Stevie Waters (University of British Columbia), his first of the season.  Waters had three hits and scored three times raising his batting average to .310.  Jacob Poletto (Bossier Parish CC) had a pair of doubles and knocked in four runs, while Groh, Manny Alberto (Western Kentucky University), Lincoln Pack (Pensacola State CC), and Dante Smith (North Dakota State University) all added two hits as part of Thunder Bay’s 16-hit attack.

Anthony Unga (Creighton University) picked up the win in relief to improve to 2-0.  The big righthander from Oakville, Ont., fired four shutout innings, allowing four hits, while striking out six.

The Cats and Rox conclude their two-game series Friday at 6:35pm.  Lefthander Tyler Bribiescas (University of Arkansas-Monticello) gets the start on the mound for Thunder Bay. It’s “Porter Airlines Fly Away Friday’s” as adult fans have to chance to win a trip for two anywhere Porter Airlines flies.