THUNDER BAY, ON – What a day of baseball it was at Port Arthur Stadium! The Thunder Bay Border Cats took on the Waterloo Bucks in a marathon triple-header on Wednesday. The Cats kicked things off with a 10-6 win in the conclusion of Tuesday’s suspended game, but the Bucks bounced back, taking the split doubleheader with scores of 6-5 in extra innings and 4-2 in the nightcap. With these results, Thunder Bay and Waterloo are now neck-and-neck atop the Great Plains East Division, both boasting 12-9 records.
Game One: A Home Run Fest
Before a crowd of 1,689 eager School Day fans, the Cats resumed Tuesday’s game with a 1-0 lead in the third inning. Zane Skansi (Creighton University) wasted no time, smashing the first pitch of the day over the fence for a home run. Teammates Cole Ketzner (University of South Alabama) and Lucas Terilli (Eastern New Mexico University) followed suit, each belting homers in Thunder Bay’s dominant 10-6 victory. The Cats surged to a 10-0 lead by the fourth inning. Max Ramirez IV (Niagara University) shined in relief, throwing 2 2/3 hitless innings and striking out three to secure the win.
Game Two: Bucks Rally in Extras
In the second game, the Bucks clawed their way back, tying the game in the sixth inning and sealing a 6-5 victory with a run in the top of the eighth. Zane Skansi was impressive once again, going 3-for-5 with two runs, a double, and an RBI. Ty Brooks (University of South Alabama) and Kyle Morrison (Shelton State CC) each added two hits. Sean Heppner (University of British Columbia) took the loss out of the bullpen, dropping his record to 0-2.
Game Three: Waterloo Edges the Nightcap
The nightcap saw Waterloo take an early lead, scoring three unearned runs in the first inning. They rode the strong pitching of Ryan Gold (University of Georgia) to a 4-2 win. Kyle Morrison broke up Gold’s no-hitter in the fifth inning and later celebrated his 20th birthday with a two-run homer in the seventh. Morrison finished with three hits, lifting his season average to .333. Kansai Sugimoto (Yavapai CC) was the tough-luck loser, evening his record at 1-1.
The series finale is set for Thursday at 6:35 p.m., with righthander Caleb Bunch (Northwestern State University) slated to start for the Border Cats.
