ST. CLOUD, Minn. – An ugly fourth inning did the Thunder Bay Border Cats in on Tuesday night.
The St. Cloud Rox batted around twice, collected eight hits and six walks in the frame and pushed a gaudy 14 runs across the plate, breaking open a 3-3 contest en route to a 17-3 home-field win.
Jack Kelly belted a grand slam with two outs off Thunder Bay reliever Brendan Cindrick, then the Rox loaded the bases again and Hance Smith doubled to clear them again on the third pitch he saw from Cats reliever Peyton Burks.
Kelly finished with three hits and three runs in five trips to the plate. Garett Delano had three RBI and every starter in the lineup had at least one hit in the 18-hit, eight walk attack.
Jake Engel and Conor Allard homered for Thunder Bay, who scored single runs in the second, third and fourth to even the score before St. Cloud’s offensive outburst. Allard finished 3-for-4 and scored twice.
Thunder Bay starter Jeremiah Priddy took the loss, allowing three runs in three hits before departing with two out in the third.
Logan Reid was lit up for six runs on five hits and two walks in the fateful fourth and Cindric gave up the other eight runs in the inning, only managing to get one out while surrendering three hits and walking five.
Burks, Aaron Kern and Ryan Windham shut the Rox down the rest of the way, shutting out St. Cloud over the final 13 outs.
R.J. Martinez, who struck out seven over six innings, earned the win.
