Border Cats sweep doubleheader against Duluth, snap five-game slide

THUNDER BAY -- It took them until August, but the Thunder Bay Border Cats finally have a series sweep under their belts.

And they did it in a span of nine hours.

The Border Cats on Monday took both halves of a Tbaytel Park double header against the Duluth Huskies, routing their cross-border rivals 11-1 in the matinee opener and holding on for a 6-3 win in the nightcap, a game that saw the host side turn six double plays.

“That’s huge,” said Shane Shepard, who hit a solo home run in the first game and doubled home two more in the second.

“It’s the most exciting play in baseball and that’s always fun because you can get out of innings more easily too.”

The main benefactor of the defensive prowess – which included a bases-loaded diving stab by left-fielder Anthony Brocato in the second inning of Game 2 that prevented the Huskies from compiling a big inning – was starter Shannon Broussard.

It makes his job a heck of a lot easier, he said.

“If someone gets on, I can trust my defence, get a ground ball, get a double play and get out of the inning. It won’t hurt us,” said Broussard, who threw six innings of four-hit ball in the second game, allowing just one run in improving to 4-1.

Of course the bats helped the cause too – or more so the Cats patience at the plate.

The Northwoods League team, which had dropped five straight heading into the contest, drew five bases-loaded walks in the eighth inning of the opener, turning a 6-1 game on its head. Mitch Bigras, Gui Gingras, Jordan Gillerman, Jesse Lee and Andy Weber all drew free passes with the bases full, the first three off reliever Matt Hanson, the final two off his replacement Tyler Fischer.

Angelo Spedafino started the first game and went four innings, allowing a run on two hits. Anthony Paesano pitched a scoreless fifth and was credited with the win, Patrick Boyle tossing the final four scoreless innings to earn the save.

Weber was 3-for-4 with two RBI. Bobby Honeyman, who scored twice in the second game, drove in a pair, going 2-for-5 with his fifth double of the season.

In Game 2 the Cats picked away at Duluth starter Payton Robinson, scoring single runs in the second, third and fourth and fifth before his early departure.

They’d add two more in the sixth on Shepard’s double.

Thunder Bay’s Tyler Moskalyk appeared for the second time since joining the team last month, allowing two runs in the ninth as he struggled with his control. But he settled down and retired Austin Bernard and Jake Pries to end the game.

Duluth (6-18) has lost nine straight. The Cats, who travel to La Crosse on Tuesday for the first of two, improved to 9-15.

The attendance was 783 in the first game and 825 in the second.