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Border Cats comeback falls short in ninth (13 photos)

Thunder Bay loaded the bases with two outs in their final at bat, but only scored once and fell 8-7 to Duluth.

THUNDER BAY – Clean up the mental mistakes and the Thunder Bay Border Cats might have a shot at second-half success.

On Tuesday night, desperate to halt a three-game slide, the Cats allowed two runs to score on wild pitches and a third-inning error by pitcher Luke Malone proved costly when Duluth’s General McArthur slammed the ball over the wall in right to score two more.

Add in a pair of pick-offs running the base paths that snuffed out potential rallies and it’s no surprise the Border Cats came up a run short, falling 8-7 to the visiting Huskies in front of 734 fans at Port Arthur Stadium.

“We’ve got to stay aware,” said Billy Cook, one of Thunder Bay’s two all-star selections who will take part in the mid-summer classic next Tuesday.

Still, despite the miscues, the game came down to the final out, after the Border Cats loaded the bases with two outs in the ninth, and cut Duluth’s two-run lead in half when Brady Gulakowski was hit by a pitch, scoring Cook from third.

But that’s where the comeback stalled.

Brandon Trammell, who was riding a seven-game hit streak, grounded sharply to second to end the game and stretch Thunder Bay’s losing streak to four. He'd finish 0-for-3 with a walk.

“The big thing that we talked about was starting early. It took a few innings for us to get going and every pitch counted in the end,” said Cook, who was 1-for-5 on the night with two runs scored and two more driven in.

“If we were able to get a few more hits early on, then maybe it’s a different game. The offence did a good job battling toward the end. Hopefully we can take that momentum into tomorrow.”

Pitching coach Matt Cartwright, subbing for suspended manager Mitch Feller, said it was a valiant effort at the plate.

“We had a chance, and basically that’s all you can ask for. We played hard throughout and just a break here or there and we could have come out with a win there,” Cartwright said.

Duluth (8-4) struck in the first on Thunder Bay starter Luke Malone, Chris Giloody singling home McArthur, who singled, stole second and took third on a ground out.

Malone settled down after McArthur’s second-inning blast, retiring eight of the next nine batters he faced, but was pulled after walking the lead-off batter in the seventh.

Thunder Bay got on the board in the fourth, Brady Gulakowski doubling down the right-field line off Duluth starter Jason Braziel to score DH Kyle Czaplak.

They’d add a second run in the sixth, Czaplak doubling in Cook, who reached on a one-out error.

Rogelio Reyes subbed for Malone in the seventh and promptly allowed Tony Monroy to score on a wild pitch.

Then, after McArthur reached on an error, Christian Jones belted his second homer of the season, the Huskies moving in front 6-2.

The Cats (5-8) had an answer in the bottom of the seventh.

Cam Pearcey doubled home Trammell, who opened the inning with a walk, Cook following with a two-run double to narrow the Huskies lead to 6-5.

A second Reyes wild pitch, in the eighth, made it 7-5, but the Cats' Gulakowski answered with a run-scoring single. However, the rally was snuffed when pinch hitter Willie Bourbon was picked off leaning too far off first.

Jones doubled in another run off closer Andrew Gross in the top of the ninth for an 8-6 Huskies lead, the run proving to be the difference.

Malone (1-3) was tagged with the loss while Braziel earned the win.

The two teams battle again on Wednesday night.



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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