Cats bounce back with 14-run attack in win over Loggers

THUNDER BAY – Jacob Miller’s only been in the Border Cats lineup for two games and he’s already making bold predictions.

Miller, who went 2-for-4 with a double and three RBIs on Tuesday, leading Thunder Bay to a bounce-back, 14-7 win over Great Plains East-leading La Crosse Loggers, said the team is ready to take on anyone and everyone in the Northwoods League.

“Personally, I just want to keep going how it’s going, keep finding barrels. I mean, that’s all you can ask for, really,” said Miller returning for a second season with the team, finally injury free and ready to play.

As a team, I don’t know if the Cats are going to lose again. The Cats might just win out the rest of the year.

It might be a little ambitious for a team with a 7.43 team ERA, but the way the Border Cats have been hitting of late, anything’s possible.

As a team, Thunder Bay is tied for the league lead with a .283 batting average in 21 games, with the third most runs (159), second-most hits (206) and the fourth most doubles (37).

Coming off a disappointing 25-13 loss to the Loggers on Monday night, the Cats were looking to put that game in the rear-view mirror in a hurry.

That was the mentality, Miller said.

“Obviously last night didn’t go our way. We didn’t throw a lot of strikes. But just knowing it’s summer ball, so that game is behind us and we just came back today ready to play. We pulled the tarp off this morning, it looked good and we were ready to go,” Miller said.

William Spang, the Thunder Bay starter, and his La Crosse counterpart, Aaron England, each faced the minimum in the opening inning, to the delight of more than 1,700 school-day fans in the stands at Port Arthur Stadium.

But while Spang continued his success in the second – including picking off a Loggers runner for the second straight inning – the Cats were able to get to England in the bottom of the frame.

Calvin Warrillow delivered an RBI single with the bases loaded and then, with two outs, leadoff hitter Kael Babin sent one soaring to centre, the ball bouncing off the glove of Loggers CF Carson Ohland, rolling to the wall and allow all three runners to scamper home, giving the Border Cats a 4-0 lead after two innings for a second straight outing.

Unlike Monday, when La Crosse scored 15 runs in the third, Spang was up to the task, striking out Brayden Jefferis with two on to end the inning.

Thunder Bay’s Braxton Templin capped a three-run third with a ground-rule double that scored Jeremy Sheffield, and Thunder Bay took a 7-0 lead to the fourth.

That’s when Spang finally found real trouble, and he wasn’t able to escape the inning. Eli Small had a two-run single, but a throwing error by Miller led to another run.

Jackson Irwin closed out the inning, grabbing an R.J. Hamilton topper and tossing it to first for the third out.

Up 7-4, the Cats (12-9) got back on the sticks, pouring on three more runs, the key blow Millers two-run double to right. La Crosse (16-6) sent seven men to the plate in the seventh, but their lone run came courtesy of a passed ball.

Thunder Bay capped things off in the eights, adding four more runs, Miller driving in another pair with a single. They’d allow two runs in the top of the ninth, but George Hansen settled down and retired Eddie Peters to end the game.

“It was definitely a similar start, getting to the top of the third 4-0, the exact same as last night. To be able to hold serve there was huge for us. Our pitching held. We threw strikes. We continue to swing the bat offensively and our bullpen pitched well,” manager Joe Ellison said.

The game was the first of two the two teams will play on Tuesday. First pitch in Game 2 goes at 6:35 p.m.