ST. CLOUD, Minn. – The slumping Thunder Bay Border Cats continue to struggle on the road.
Mired in the midst of a 14-game road trip, the Cats couldn’t hold an early 4-1 lead on Saturday and were walked off again, this time by the St. Cloud Rox.
Noah Griese slammed a 3-2 pitch over the wall in left with one aboard and no out in the ninth inning off second-year Thunder Bay reliever Griffin Catto, handing the Rox an 8-6 win at home.
For the Cats, it was their sixth loss in seven outings to start the road trip, which continues on Sunday in St. Cloud.
The defeat dropped Thunder Bay’s record to 12-11 and into a three-way tie for second place in the Northwoods League’s Great Plains East Division with Eau Claire and Rochester, a game-and-a-half behind Duluth (13-9).
Riley Iffrig and Cole Ketzner went deep for the Border Cats.
Iffrig’s came with one aboard in the first, the second batter faced by St. Cloud starter Kaden Pfreffer.
Ketzner’s home run gives him nine on the season, giving him a four-way share of the franchise’s single-season record.
Terrence Moody got the start for Thunder Bay and gave up five runs on six hits and a walk, striking out six. Catto took the loss, falling to 3-1.
Pfeffer lasted just three innings, but reliever Nathan Anderson took over and shut the door, blanking the Cats over three innings of one-hit ball. Brandon Jaenke earned the win, giving up a run on two hits while striking out five in two innings of relief.
The Border Cats return to Port Arthur Stadium on Aug. 5, after the completion of the WBSC’s Women’s Baseball World Cup, which begins on Sunday in Thunder Bay.
