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Errors costly for Cats in loss to Moondogs

Border Cats can't hold five-run lead, still searching for first win of the season after suffering fifth straight defeat.

THUNDER BAY – The Thunder Bay Border Cats have their offensive game in order.

The pitching and fielding could use a little work.

The Cats committed four errors and walked nine batters on Saturday night, surrendering six runs in the seventh and eighth innings to blow a 7-2 lead and dropped an 8-7 decision to the Mankato Moondogs in a battle of two teams seeking out their first win of 2019.

The loss was the fifth in a row for Thunder Bay, who blew a lead of five runs or more for the second time this season as manager Eric Vasquez continues to experiment with his pitching staff, yanking southpaw starter Mark Anderson after three innings.

Reliever Lucas Reid surrendered four runs in the sixth and Joey Hecht was victimized for two more in the eighth on two hits and two walks.

It wasn’t the ending centre-fielder Jakob Newton envisioned, after the Border Cats built a five-run lead.

“It’s just a matter of playing catch and making the plays. They’re routine plays and we’ll be able to stay in a lot more ballgames late in the game,” said Newton, who had three hits in four trips to the plate, scored twice and drove in one.

The errors were costly, two of them coming in the second.

Second baseman Karsten Vasquez couldn’t handle a routing ground ball that allowed Tanner Craig to score from second, then Peter Brookshaw hit what appeared to be a routine pop-up to third, only to have Triston Fisher fail to hang on, the miscue allowing Jacob Sniffen to scamper home for a 2-0 Moondogs lead.

The Cats, to their credit, bounced back to take the lead in the bottom half of the inning, Fisher starting the comeback with a run-scoring double that scored Anthony Galati from first. A Newton single and a passed ball left runners on second and third, setting the table for Vasquez, who made up for his error with a single that scored two.

But after Bryce Jorgenson was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out, Ryne Edmondson struck out and Jake Engel popped to second to end the threat.

“We’ve just got to play more pitches next time and focus on hitting with runners in scoring position,” said Vasquez, the son of Border Cats manager Eric Vasquez. “Also, we have to make plays. I missed a key play in the second inning. A double play would have ended the inning, but instead they scored two runs.”

Up 4-2, the Cats added three more in the fourth.

Soriano reached on an error and scored on Ryne Edmondson single, then, with runners on second and third, Fisher hit an infield single and Newton singled to score another, Thunder Bay up 7-2.

Mankato (1-4) sent eight batters to the plate in the seventh, a Soriano error allowing a pair of Moondogs runs to score. Sky-lar Culver doubled home to more off Reid, Thunder Bay’s third pitcher of the night.

Hecht took over to start the eighth and promptly gave up a single to Cole Pengilly, who later scored the tying run on a James Gargano single.

With two outs and the bases loaded, Aaron Kern was summoned from the bullpen to end the threat, but he walked the first batter he faced, Mason Crewes, giving Mankato the lead for good.

Thunder Bay tried to mount a ninth-inning rally, Fisher belting a one-out double. But he’d be stranded on third, Soriano going down swinging to end the threat.

Hecht took the loss, while Trevor Smisek, who followed starter Connor Campbell and reliever Shane Barringer, earned the win. Alex Dorethy picked up the save.

Cat tracks: Thunder Bay 1B Jake Engel left the game nursing an arm injury after a collision on a close play at first. He was replaced by newcomer Jordan Larson … Attendance was 864, many on hand for post-game fireworks … The two teams wrap up their two-game set on Sunday at 1:35 p.m. at Port Arthur Stadium.



Leith Dunick

About the Author: Leith Dunick

A proud Nova Scotian who has called Thunder Bay home since 2002, Leith is Dougall Media's director of news, but still likes to tell your stories too. Wants his Expos back and to see Neil Young at least one more time. Twitter: @LeithDunick
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