Honkers double up Border Cats

The Thunder Bay Border Cats are all but mathematically eliminated from first-half contention.

The Northwoods League club dropped a 6-3 decision at Tbaytel Park at Port Arthur Stadium on Friday night to the Rochester Honkers, leaving them with 13 wins and just six to go in the opening half.

The Cats (13-17) trail the first-place Willmar Stingers (19-11) by six games.

Cole Krzmarzick had three hits in four trips to the plate, driving in two runs. Alex Schultz also had a pair of RBI for the Honkers (18-12).

Thunder Bay starter Zach Thiac lasted into the sixth, charged with four runs – two of them earned – to take the loss.

Joshua Pigg went five, giving up three hits and a run, walking three and striking out four to pick up the victory.

The Border Cats opened the lead in the first, Tyler Coolbaugh scoring on a Jared James grounder. But the Honkers evened the score in the third and staged a two-out, two-run rally in the fourth after the inning was prolonged by a Thiac error.

Krzmarzick delivered the key blow, his single scoring Adam Walton and Adam Summers to take a 4-1 lead.

The Cats pulled within one with two in the sixth, reliever Matt Walker’s wild pitch allow Joe Gellenbeck to trot home from third for the second run of the inning.

But Rochester, in the playoff hunt and just one game off the Northwoods League North Division lead, tacked on two more in the ninth. They were hoping to avoid a repeat of Thursday night when Thunder Bay’s Nate Nolan homered with two aboard in the eight to steal the win.

Thunder Bay welcomes the Waterloo bucks to town on Saturday. Julian Loret de Mola (1-1) is expected to get the call for the home side. Tyler Day (2-0) is slated to go for the Bucks.