Eight-inning rally powers Cats past Stingers

The Thunder Bay Border Cats can win on the road.

On Friday, thanks in part to a two-run, eighth-inning triple off the bat of Phillip Lyons, the Cats stormed back from a 3-0 deficit to defeat the host Willmar Stingers 7-3, just their second win away from Port Arthur Stadium this season.

Luke Willis and Payden Cawley Lamb had RBI singles in the decisive eighth, helping the Cats improve to 8-9 in first-half play and making a winner out of reliever Woody Nesbit in his Northwoods League debut.

Thunder Bay began their comeback in support of starter Dan Ludwig, looking for his second win against the Stingers in 2012.
Ludwig went six-and-a-third on Friday, allowing all three runs on eight hits and two walks.

Scott Donley scored the first Border Cats run, coming home on a James Bonds single in the fifth. An inning later Ryan Casillas, who reached on a two-out error, crossed the plate on a Matt Jones single. Thunder Bay tied the game in the seventh, Luke Willis scoring on a Justin Higley sacrifice fly off Willmar reliever Josh Biggs, who took over from starter Anthony Consiglio to start the sixth.

The win pulled the Cats into a fourth-place tie in the NWL’s North Division with the Stingers, four back of front-running Waterloo and Mankato, who lead the way at 12-5.

Thunder Bay and Willmar play the third game of a five-game set on Saturday.