EAU CLAIRE – Control problems on the mound are starting to cost the Thunder Bay Border Cats in the early stages of the Northwoods League season.
A night after issuing 18 free passes in an opening-night win over the Eau Claire Express, the Cats were not nearly as fortunate in the rematch, a game delayed by rain.
When play finally began, Thunder Bay pitchers walked 13 more batters on Tuesday night and threw more than 150 pitches before recording the first out of the fourth inning, going on to suffer a lopsided 22-2 defeat at the hands of the Express, whose win was keyed by an 11-run third.
Alex Hendrickson put a stamp on the night in the fourth, blasting a grand slam off Thunder Bay reliever Grant Faris, who recorded just two outs, giving up six runs on three hits and a pair of walks.
Eau Claire sent 15 batters to the plate in the fourth, Hendrickson and Adam Salazar drawing walks against Owen Millar, who then hit Brenden Beals to load the bases.
Joey Flom walked to score the inning’s first run and then the floodgates opened.
McGwire Turner was hit by a pitch and then, with one out, Ian Guanzon singled home two more runs. Matthew Cormier and Adam Salazar had RBI singles and Beals doubled to left off of Faris to plate two more.
Faris struck out Jackson Glueck to finally end the threat, but the damage was done, the Border Cats trailing 15-1.
Thunder Bay took an early lead in the contest, short-lived as it might have been.
Hayden Stringfellow grounded into bases loaded 6-4-3 double play, the Express choosing to surrender a run in return for a pair of outs.
Glueck singled with two aboard in the bottom of the first to even the score at a run apiece and Nick Mascaro followed with an RBI single of his own to give Eau Claire a 2-1 advantage, a lead they’d never relinquish.
Eau Claire starter Walker Retz tossed five innings of two-hit ball, walking four and giving up just two runs, while striking out seven.
Richmond, Wash.’s Isaac Hines got the start for Thunder Bay and lasted one inning, allowing two runs on four hits, striking out a pair before exiting for exceeding the league’s 35-pitch maximum in an inning.
Jackson Irwin was chased after a 38-pitch second, Millar’s pitch count hit 37 in one-third of an inning and Faris also surpassed the 35-pitch mark in recording just two outs.
Thunder Bay’s Porter Jorgenson threw the final two innings for the Border Cats, allowing two runs on three hits and a pair of walks.
Carter Endisch took over the pitching reins for the Express to start the sixth and threw three innings of no-hit, shutout ball.
Manny Alberto and Calvin Warrillow had the only two hits for Thunder Bay, Alberto’s coming in the leadoff spot in the second and Warrilow’s two batters later.
Thunder Bay (1-1) will play their season opener on Thursday night at Port Arthur Stadium, when they welcome the Rochester Honkers (1-1) to town. Game time in 6:35 p.m.
Cat tracks: The 22 runs allowed by the Border Cats was not the most the team has allowed in a single game. That record belongs to the 2013 squad that dropped a 27-5 decision to the Mankato MoonDogs. The league record for runs in a game by one team is 28, scored by Rockford in 2020. Thunder Bay also allowed 24 runs to St. Cloud in 2013 contest.
