Cats rally late to down Beetles after ugly start

A four-run eighth helped the Thunder Bay Border Cats snap a four-game slide on Saturday night.

Evan Mistich singled home a pair of runs to cap the late-inning comeback on Jimmy Buffett night at Port Arthur Stadium, handing reliever Brad Delatte (1-1) his first win in a Border Cats uniform. Mistich was 3-for-5 with four RBI on the night.

It was ugly early for the Cats (3-6).

Starter Connor Little, who lasted six innings, gave up two of the four runs he surrendered on the night in the first; Taylor Davis singling home the first run and Matt Lowenstein the second on a fielder’s choice.

The Cats got one of them back in the bottom of the first when Mistich plated Sean Miller-Jones, but that was it offensively for them until the fifth, by which time the Beetles had built a 4-1 lead.

Jeff Deblieux, hitting .407 in the leadoff spot through seven games, drove in his first of the summer, scoring Garrett Houts from second.

The teams traded runs in the seventh. The Beetles greeted Cats reliever Zak Miller rudely, loading the bases with one out, forcing Thunder Bay manager Mike Steed to make his second pitching change of the inning.

Delatte came on and induced a sacrifice fly from Lowenstein, scoring Marcus Semien from third to give the Beetles a 5-2 advantage.

With David Randall on the mound in relief, Mistich cut the lead to two, singling to score Deblieux.

Kevin Vangheluwe (2-1) took over in the eighth, but showed the night wasn’t kind to the Beetles releiver. Tanner Nivins walked to start the inning and raced around the bases to score on Kenny Battiston’s double.

P.K. Kitamura reached on an error by 2B Mikel Alvarez. Will Thorp tried to bunt him to second, but instead Vangheluwe threw it away and everyone was safe. Houts struck out for the first out, but Deblieux singled to load the bases.

Miller-Jones struck out swinging for the second out, but Vangheluwe was left in one batter too long, surrendering the game-winning single to Mistich.

The Beetles, trailing 7-5, got one of the runs back in the ninth, but closer Drew Erwin stopped the two-out rally, despite walking Tim Roberson with the bases loaded. Erwin earned his Northwoods League-leading 10th save of the season, but his first since July 4.

The Cats and Beetles wrap up their two-game set on Sunday afternoon. Game time is 5:05 p.m.