Border Cats strike out 12 times in shutout loss to Wisconsin

If you can’t hit the baseball, it’s not easy to score runs.

It’s becoming an unfortunate trend for the Thunder Bay Border Cats, who struck out a dozen times on Thursday night in their return to Tbaytel Park at Port Arthur Stadium and were blanked 7-0 by a Wisconsin Woodchucks team that put up four runs in the second inning and never looked back.

“We just can’t continue to do that,” said Border Cats manager Danny Benedetti, his team falling to 3-6 in second-half play.

“We had 10 two nights ago and 12 last night. Thirty-four strikeouts in three nights is just not giving your odds good chances.”

Once again the Cats, who managed just five hits, were met with a solid pitching performance.

Woodchucks starter Simon Mathews allowed just four hits, striking out seven and walking just one before departing with two outs in the seventh.

“I just go out there and try to throw strikes,” said Mathews, a 6-foot-2 sophomore out of Georgetown University.

“I’ve got a hell of a defence behind me. We’ve got one of the best defences in the league and when I go out there and pitch strikes I know they’re going to pick it up behind me.”

Of course, a five-run cushion – the South Division Woodchucks (3-5) opened with a run in the first off Border Cats starter Kyle Von Ruden – always helps.

“Four-spots are awesome. It’s always great to show up to the park and your team gets on the board for you early,” Mathews said. “That way you can kind of get into cruise control and not really worry about what’s going on. When your team’s up, as long as you keep throwing up zeroes, you’re going to win.”

The Woodchucks did most of their damage in the second, loading the bases with one out. A Taylor Kohlwey sacrifice fly, a Jared Oliva double and a Yasuke Akitoshi single later and the Wisconsin lead was suddenly 5-0.

Two innings was all Von Ruden would last, replaced by Anthony Morris to start the third.

Grant McKown gave the Cats their best chance to score in the third, advancing to third on a wild pitch after singling to open the inning.
But Mathews bore down and struck out Joe Gellenbeck and Eddie Posavec IV to end the threat. He went on to retire nine of the next 10 batters he faced.

Thunder Bay’s Carter McEachern singled to start the seventh, but was thrown out by a country mile trying to steal second.

Meanwhile Morris, who had a strong outing, surrendering five hits and two walks in five innings of relief, gave up single runs in the sixth and seventh, giving way to Kenny Glover Jr. who finished the game with a pair of perfect innings.

The Cats, playing in front of 670 fans, put two runners on with two outs in the eighth, but Dan Rizzie couldn’t catch up to a Tim McElroy pitch and both were stranded.

Robert Zeigler pitched a scoreless ninth to secure the shutout.

The two teams will go at it again on Friday night as the Cats wrap up their brief two-game home-stand.