THUNDER BAY -- The Thunder Bay Border Cats lost in unusual fashion in front of a spirited crowd of some of their youngest fans.
Despite being significantly outhit, the Eau Claire Express managed to beat the Cats 7-3 on Tuesday after a disastrous top half of the first inning for the home side.
The 11 a.m. opening pitch at Port Arthur Stadium didn’t bode well for starter Omar Maldonado, who was removed from the game before recording his first out.
Maldonado didn’t surrender a single hit, but struggled to find the strike zone, let alone the glove of his catcher. Of the five batters faced he walked four, plunked one and tossed three wild pitches. It's the second time in two starts this season he's failed to get out of the first.
“He just had a rough time trying to find the strike zone,” manager Mitch Feller said. “We’ll probably transition him to the bullpen and try and get him a little more relaxed in the system.”
Jack Rasmussen, who replaced Maldonado, didn't have much better luck by walking a further three batters and giving up a two-run single to Zac Stange.
By the end of the 33-minute half inning, the Border Cats had given up six runs on just one hit.
Overall, Thunder Bay's bats looked sharp for one of the few times this season with the club’s nine hits one shy of a season-high.
One of the Border Cats big chances to cut into the lead came in the fifth inning. With the bases loaded and two out, Evan Russell hit a rocket directly to Eau Claire’s centerfielder Zach Gilles.
They also had some momentum in the eighth inning after Ryan Drake cashed home Evan Russell with a two-out single. Their next batter, Trent Athmann, also managed to reach base with a single, but the inning ended when Drake got caught in between the basepaths and was tagged out at second.
“It just wasn’t our day,” Feller said. “The (Eau Claire) centerfielder probably had [a bunch] of balls right at him. We’re squaring up our balls, we just have to find the gaps.”
Eau Claire starter Josh Gaworski controlled the pace over five innings of work. He struck out five batters, and worked his way around the four hits and three walks he surrendered.
Justin King, who came onto pitch in the second inning, stopped the bleeding for the Cats and allowed only one run in six subsequent innings, calming the 921 in attendance.
Athmann reached base three times on a trio singles, one of which drove in a run.
“We have a lot of potential in the offence,” said third-basemen Billy Cook. “It all goes with momentum… if we can get more big hits I have no doubt our offence will come.”
The Border Cats, whose record now sits at 2-6, will host the Willmar Stingers (4-3) tomorrow at 7p.m.
Cat tracks: Former Thunder Bay infielder Andy Weber on Tuesday was selected 158th overall, in the fifth round, by the Chicago Cubs, in the MLB draft.
