Thunder Bay, ON – The Thunder Bay Border Cats are on fire! With their fourth consecutive win, the Cats completed a thrilling two-game sweep of the Duluth Huskies, edging out a 3-2 victory Monday night at Wade Stadium. This win keeps Thunder Bay on top of the Great Plains East Division with an impressive 5-1 record, boosting their overall season tally to 23-17. Plus, they lead the 12-game Superior Cup series against Duluth, 6-4!
Turner Spoljaric (University of Oregon) was the star of the night, dazzling on the mound in his debut start for the Cats. The Lisle, Ontario native and son of former MLB pitcher Paul Spoljaric, threw six shutout innings, allowing just three hits and striking out five. Spoljaric left the game with a solid 3-0 lead, but after a rain delay, the Huskies fought back with two runs in the seventh. Enter Mason Lemons (Arkansas State University-Mountain Home), who shut the door in the ninth, securing his first save by getting the final two outs.
The Cats’ offense was ignited by Nathanael Frederking (Boston College) with an RBI single in the second inning. Thunder Bay added two more runs in the fifth, thanks to an RBI double by Zane Skansi (Creighton University) and a sacrifice fly by Brody Chrisman (Purdue University). Frederking was on fire, going 3-for-4 at the plate and scoring a run. Chrisman and Ty Hamilton (Florida Southwestern State College) also chipped in with two hits each in the triumphant win.
Next up, the Cats hit the road, continuing their six-game road trip in Waterloo, Iowa. They face off against the Bucks on Tuesday at 7:35 PM ET. Max Ramirez IV (Niagara University), sporting a perfect 4-0 record, will start the opener of the four-game series at Riverfront Stadium.
Stay tuned, Cats fans, because Thunder Bay is on a roll!
