The Wisconsin Woodchucks took game one of their final regular season series of the year, upending the Thunder Bay Border Cats, 4-3, Saturday night at TBayTel Park in Thunder Bay.
Wisconsin (23-14, 41-30) used a fourth inning RBI single from catcher Zach Arnold, his second of the day, to take the 4-3 lead and never looked back.
The Woodchucks got the scoring started early off Border Cats’ starting right-hander Gunnar Kay. Third baseman Paul DeJong led off the Chucks’ half of the second with a single to center field. With one out, shortstop Ryan Howard was hit by a pitch. Arnold and left fielder Derek Peake both laced RBI singles to give the Chucks the 2-0 advantage. The lead became 3-0 when center fielder Taylor Kohlwey drove home a run with an infield single.
Thunder Bay (9-27, 23-48) scored one in the second and two in the third to briefly tie the game prior to Arnold’s game-winner. Starting right-hander Andy Ravel, who improved to 4-2 with the win, went six innings for Wisconsin, giving up three runs on eight hits, striking out four and walking three.
Lefty Jared Skolnicki was splendid again out of the Woodchucks’ bullpen, firing two scoreless innings while striking out three. Righty Pat Kenney fired a perfect ninth inning with a strikeout, recording his second save of the year.
Arnold and Howard each had two hits, pacing the Woodchucks’ offensive attack.
The Woodchucks are back in action on Sunday afternoon as they take on the Border Cats in the final regular season game of the year. First pitch from TBayTel Park is scheduled for 4:05 P.M.
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The Wisconsin Woodchucks are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwood’s League. Playing its 21st season of summer collegiate baseball, the Northwood’s League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 18 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, more than 115 Northwood’s League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (DET) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (WAS), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Allen Craig (STL) and Ben Zobrist (TB). All league games are viewable live via the Northwood’s League YouTube channel. For more information, visit woodchucks.com.