If you’re headed out to see the Thunder Bay Border Cats, better buy a program.
Struck by injuries and innings count, the Cats have been forced to scour the sandlots for bodies. Manager Andy Judkins debuted four newcomers Thursday night, as Thunder Bay began a season-long seven-game home-stand at Port Arthur Stadium.
Luckily a couple of them proved they can hit. The Cats needed the offence against a St. Cloud Rox squad that trailed 10-3 midway through the contest, but pulled to within one in the ninth, dropping an 11-10 decision to give the Border Cats (8-11) their third straight triumph.
Former Toronto Blue Jays draft pick Jerrick Suiter, listed as a pitcher on the roster, was the best of the first-gamers, going 2-for-4 with a single, double and a sacrifice fly, driving in a team-high three runs in the high-scoring win.
Not a bad way to make a first impression, the Indiana native said.
“Absolutely,” said Suiter, coming off his freshman season at Texas Christian University. “I was a little excited and I guess that kind of paid off a little bit.
“I saw the ball well tonight. I haven’t hit in a couple of weeks. I’ve been home, kinda resting up. But I saw it well tonight.”
Left-fielder Tyler Duplantis, a Nicholls State University teammate or reliever Jordan McCoy and infielder Phillip Lyons, was none too shabby in his debut, with two hits in four at bats and a pair of runs scored.
Their performance was a breath of fresh air for Judkins, who was forced to scramble to find replacements as his players began dropping like flies.
It’s not easy.
“It was tough, but It’s nice knowing you can get a guy up here like (Suiter). Jerrick pitches as well, so we’ll see how he does on the mound. But it is tough, especially this late in the year. I’m fortunate enough to get three or four guys that can really play and they’re excited to be here and that’s what we want,” Judkins said.
Tied 3-3 in the bottom of the fifth, after St. Cloud roughed up Border Cats starter Blake Fonfara for a pair in the top half of the inning, the Cats pulled away with six runs to take a commanding 9-3 lead into the sixth.
Suiter scored a pair on a two-out double, Duplantis knocked him in, doubling off St. Cloud starter Zach Hirsch, whose night ended with the next batter, w Patrick Gallagher single scoring Duplantis with the fifth run of the inning.
Brett Kay then greeted reliever James Jensen with a single to bring home Gallagher, before Omar Cotto flew out to left to end the threat.
The Cats appeared to be on cruise control, until the eighth inning struck.
Judkin brought in newcomer Tyler Arthur and the righty struggled with control problems from the get go. He walked three of the first four batters he faced to load the bases with one out. Then after striking out .322 hitter Mark Rhine, he surrendered back-to-back two-run hits to Boo Vazquez and Erik Kozel, closing the gap to 10-7.
“I tried to get Tyler out there, to get his debut out of the way with a comfortable enough lead. He just struggled a little bit to throw strikes. He said he was a little bit nervous and sometimes that happens. But we got the W and that’s all that matters,” Judkins said.
The Cats loaded the bases themselves in the eighth, with Suiter plating the lone run on a sac fly, a run that proved quite valuable before the final out was made.
Judkins turned to all-star closer Jordan McCoy to finish it off, but it just wasn’t his night.
He loaded the bases with two outs, then gave up a double to Rhine that scored two and a single to Vazquez to score one more. But he induced a short fly ball from Kozel to eke out the win.
Claw marks: Former Cats starter Wes Parsons is expected to work out for the Atlanta Braves. He’s already been offered a contract by the Tampa Bay Rays ... The Border Cats had 18 hits on the night, 12 against Hirsch, who allowed nine runs in taking the loss ... Attendance was 606. The Cats are averaging 880 on the season, second-lowest in the Northwoods League.
