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Border Cats drop both ends of day-night twinbill

A clutch hit or 20 and the Thunder Bay Border Cats season might have a much different outlook. Instead they're limping toward its merciful conclusion. At least that’s how manager Danny Benedetti is feeling these days.
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Duluth's Terrin Vavra slides back safely Wednesday night in the third inning of the Huskies Northwoods League contest at Tbaytel Park at Port Arthur Stadium against the Thunder Bay Border Cats. (Leith Dunick, tbnewswatch.com)

A clutch hit or 20 and the Thunder Bay Border Cats season might have a much different outlook. Instead they're limping toward its merciful conclusion.

At least that’s how manager Danny Benedetti is feeling these days.

The timely hits just aren’t there, the first-year skipper said, after his team dropped its second game of the day, falling 6-3 to the Duluth Huskies in front of a Wienie Wednesday crowd of 1,013 at Tbaytel Park at Port Arthur Stadium.

“I think we could have knocked that kid out in the first inning. They had pitching issues today. They didn’t have a lot of arms left,” Benedetti said.

“Our guys knew it and we just couldn’t get that big hit. It’s just kind of how the season has been going. It’s tough. It’s absolutely tough. We were one hit away from that inning just being destroyed. And that happened to be the game.”

The Border Cats jumped all over Duluth starter Jonathon Ludwig in the opening inning, loading the bases with one out, but were only able to come away with two runs, courtesy of a Nate Nolan sacrifice fly and a Grant McKown RBI single.

The lead lasted less than four innings.

The Huskies Colton Waltner jumped all over a Zach Thiac offering in the fifth, ripping a wind-aided line shot over the left-field wall with two men aboard, Duluth taking a 3-2 lead.

Waltner wound up with four hits in five at bats, raising his average to .301.

But the home side would fight back. 

With Jared James on second in the bottom of the fifth, Dan Rizzie singled to tie the game 3-3,

However the Cats, who had a pitching shortage of their own after a 16-inning game on Tuesday and a 17-7 drubbing earlier in the day, weren't able to get the job done in the game's latter stages, the bullpen worn to a frazzle.

Thiac left in the eighth, after walking pinch hitter T.J. Martin to open the frame, Donnie Sellers taking over on the mound.

He promptly gave up a double to Elliott Barzilli.

Then, with former Cat Kyle Comer at the dish, Sellers appeared to catch a break with a pop-up behind the plate.

Only one problem – catcher Rizzie let it bounce out of his glove, giving Comer, who played 29 games with Thunder Bay in 2014 and 2015, a second life.

It proved to be the difference.

“It’s one of those things that (what) usually happens next (is) the kid gets the hit,” Benedetti said.

Comer’s single scored a pair of runs, giving him five RBI in the doubleheader sweep and the Huskies took a 5-3 lead. Duluth (16-10) added an insurance run in the ninth off Sellers and remained 3.5 games back of front-running St. Cloud in the Northwoods League's North Division.

“It's huge. We've got to stay in it," said Duluth's sixth-year manager Daniel Hersey of the win. "Like I told the guys, we don't want to worry about anyone in front of us. We've got to take care of our own business."

The Cats (10-17) put runners on first and second with one out in their final at bat, but Matt Batten flew out to deep right and Rizzie popped to first to end the game, the save going to Austin Carpenter, his 11th.

Josh McLaney (3-2), who tossed three innings of middle relief, earned the win. Thiac (1-6) drew the loss.



Leith Dunick

About the Author: Leith Dunick

A proud Nova Scotian who has called Thunder Bay home since 2002, Leith is Dougall Media's director of news, but still likes to tell your stories too. Wants his Expos back and to see Neil Young at least one more time. Twitter: @LeithDunick
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