Three runs in ninth earn Cats fifth win

The Cardiac Kids are back.

Only this time around they’re playing in Thunder Bay, not Philadelphia, scoring late in games to secure wins that in years gone by almost always ended up in the defeat column.

The Cats pulled off a miraculous ninth-inning comeback Wednesday night, plating three runs at Port Arthur Stadium to eke out a narrow 5-4 win over the Rochester Honkers.

Ty Wosleger drew a bases loaded walk off Rochester reliever Robert Hansen that tied the score, and Alex Guthrie came home with the winning run on a wild pitch, Hansen’s second of the inning. David Fallon scored the first run of the inning in similar fashion.

The Cats got into the jam in the top half of the inning, with closer Zak Miller brought in to close out a 2-1 contest.

Miller, who was passed over during the Major League Baseball draft, despite heavy interest by a number of teams, surrendered a leadoff single to Rochester’s Jake Kurth. An error by catcher Evan Weibel put runners on first and second.

Both men advanced on a Miller wild pitch, allowing Kurth to even the score on a Devin Thaut sacrifice fly.

A walk to Reid Roper  proved costly when Davy Wright doubled, clearing the basepaths.

The Honkers took an early 1-0 lead in the first in support of starter Matt Strahm.

The Cats tied it for John Straka in the second, then took a one-run lead in the seventh when Kevin Taylor singled home Brett Kay with a two-out single.

Thunder Bay (5-3) climbed a game closer to front-running Mankato (6-2), who fell 8-7 to Duluth on Wednesday.