THUNDER BAY – The Border Cats completed a doubleheader sweep in extra innings, capturing their fifth win in six tries to move within six games of top spot in the Great Plains East.
They needed extra innings to secure the 4-3 triumph.
The Cats, who were technically the road team, despite the contest being played at Port Arthur Stadium, the result of a first-half rainout in Willmar, scored twice in the eighth inning to pull out the win.
Both Thursday games were shortened to seven innings.
Ayden Hadley was placed on second to start the eighth and promptly scored on Caleb Watkins single to centre.
Then, after Jacob Miller grounded into a double play, Kaiden Ashton hit a bases-loaded single off of reliever Caden Capomaccio that allowed Watkins to score from third, though the inning ended when Corey Morro was gunned down at the plate by Stingers left-fielder Cody Nitowitz, trying to up the Cats cushion to three runs.
Up 4-2 in the bottom of the eighth, Liam Bushey singled in Carter Walsh with one out to close the gap to one, but Tyler Talbert managed to get out of a two-out, bases loaded jam, getting Joey Craig to ground out to short to preserve the win, Thunder Bay’s fifth triumph in its last six outings.
Though the playoffs are a long-shot for the 9-12 Border Cats, they did leapfrog the La Crosse Loggers, the first-half division champions, into fourth in the Great Plains East. Thunder Bay is 2.5 games behind third-place Eau Claire (12-10) and three back of second place Waterloo (13-10).
Jeremy Shefield, the hero of Thunder Bay’s 7-6, come-from-behind win in Thursday’s opener, said the team is just going out to win every day and will let the playoff chips fall where they may.
“Baseball is still baseball. It’s still a tough sport, but at the end of the day, we all know we’re going to grind it out and whatever happens, happens,” said Sheffield, who homered in both games, including a one-out, solo shot in the third inning of the nightcap.
“We’re going to take it one day at a time and win what we can and see what happens from there.”
Reliever Carter Wall, who earned the save in Game 1, said the team believes in itself – it’s just a matter of putting things together on the field.
“I think our motivation is definitely up there. We’ve got the guys to do it. We’ve just got to do it,” he said.
“We’re going to have to make a push and it’s got to be soon.”
The Cats have 15 games remaining, including eight with front-running Duluth (15-6).
Collin Berry got the start for Thunder Bay and lasted three innings, giving up two runs on three hits while striking out three, the scoring coming in the second and fourth inning before he was pulled in favour of Will Humphrey.
Bushey scored on a wild pitch in the second and Max Buettenback led off the fourth with a homer to right, ending Berry’s night.
Humphrey and Talbert, who earned the win, shut things down over the next five innings, surrendering just two hits and four walks.
The Cats and Stingers wrap up their series on Friday night at Port Arthur Stadium. Game time is 6:35 p.m.
