Erwin shuts down Huskies in 4-3 Border Cats win

Drew Erwin’s second save for the Border Cats wasn’t as clean as his first, but it was enough to earn his club its second straight victory over rival Duluth Huskies Thursday night.

The successful close, his second of two opportunities, allowed the Border Cats (2-0) to walk away from Port Arthur Stadium with a 4-3 come-from-behind win. While Erwin allowed the Huskies to get runners on first and third in the ninth, the closer kept his cool and his team was able to turn a double play to shutdown the potential Duluth rally.

"I’m going to stick with him and I have confidence in him. It wasn’t the clean, but it was still a save," said Border Cats manager Mike Steed. "He’s a returning player and I told him right when he signed with the Border Cats again that he would be our closer."

The Huskies had more offensive success than they did in Wednesday’s outing, which saw the Border Cats snag a 1-0 win. The Minnesota squad drove in three runs before the Cats touched the scoreboard.

The Huskies struck first, scoring a run in the second. Border Cats’ starting pitcher John Tatum found a grove after allowing that run and was able to retire eight straight Duluth batters.

But a hit from the Huskies’ designated hitter Ben Hughes kick started a Duluth rally in the fifth. Tatum allowed another two runs to score before the Cats went to their bullpen for relief.
Unfortunately for the Huskies, they weren’t the only team at the field that made offensive improvements. The Cats found their bats in the fifth and broke ahead of Duluth in the sixth thanks to a two-run single by designated hitter Ken Beaman.

"It was just different pitching, we’re getting used to it and during the first game last night everyone was a bit shaky," Beaman said of his team’s improved offensive performance. "Everyone’s just more comfortable."

While the offense came alive in the sixth, the Cats’ defence remained solid through the entire game. Third baseman AJ Schugel robbed Duluth of a base hit in the second when he snagged a hard hit line drive, while left fielder Ken Balliston made a highlight-reel worthy diving catch that kept his team on top later in the game.

"To win a championship this year our defence is going to have to be the strongest part of our game," Steed said.

The Border Cats will eye the series sweep as they take on the Duluth Huskies for the third time Friday night at Port Arthur Stadium. The game is scheduled to start at 6:35 p.m.