THUNDER BAY – Down to his team’s last out, Border Cats manager Joe Ellison had a couple of choices to send up to pinch hit.
With runners on first and third, he chose first baseman Jeremy Sheffield to challenge Duluth Huskies southpaw reliever Jackson Smith.
Smith got a quick two strikes on the Missouri native, though Manny Alberto, who singled to keep the game the alive, stole second, putting two Thunder Bay runners in scoring position.
The third pitch was the one that did the Huskies closer in.
Sheffield jumped on it and sliced it down the right-field line allowing Alberto to scamper home behind Greg LaChance, earning the Border Cats a 10-9, come-from behind win, their second straight Northwoods League triumph.
It’s one of those moments baseball players live for, Sheffield said, adding it’s all about being ready when your number is called.
“My thought process is always control my heart rate. It spiked a little bit there with that swing and miss, but we talk about simple is good and simple wins. We talk about putting bat to ball and let the game take care of the rest,” Sheffield said.
Ellison said the only reason Sheffield wasn’t on the field already was it was a scheduled day off. He didn’t think his budding star, who’s hitting .286 with seven runs driven in through nine games, minded being asked to step up.
“He’s a professional at bat. No matter what happens I know I’m going to get a great at bat from him. He’s been one of our best players this year so far,” Ellison said. “If you have the opportunity to bring someone of his talent into the game, you’re going to do it.”
In the early stages of the first of two school-day contests at Port Arthur Stadium, it was all Border Cats. Starter Makaio Cisneros tossed a solid four innings, allowing one run one seven hits. The Cats opened the scoring in the first, Kael Babin scooting home on a wild pitch, Ty Hamilton adding a second run on an error by the Duluth catcher.
The Huskies got one back in the second, but it remained a 2-1 game until the fifth, when Jordan Bach singled in a pair and Lucas Johnson doubled in two more, giving Thunder Bay a 6-1 lead, to the delight of the 1,607 fans in the stands.
Luke Zmolik gave the Border Cats two innings of scoreless relief, giving way to returnee Griffn Catto to start the seventh.
That’s when things started to go awry.
Bjorn Lind walked to start the inning and Michael Smith lifted a lazy infield pop fly that third baseman Corey Morro couldn’t corral, putting runners on first and second.
Noah Furcht singled to load the bases and a Catto wild-pitch led to Duluth’s second run of the afternoon. A bases loaded walk to John DiGregorio ended Catto’s afternoon.
Tyler Talbert took over and Elijah Fairchild lifted a sacrifice fly to make it a 6-4 ballgame. The Huskies weren’t done yet. Kade Thompson singled in the fourth run of the inning before Lind grounded out to end the frame.
“That seventh inning really hurt. You give a good baseball team three extra outs in an inning and you’re going to put yourself if a really tough spot. We did that, but we found a way to compete and stay in the game throughout the whole nine innings,” Ellsion said.
Jordan Bach homered on the second pitch he saw from Logan Reid to lead off the bottom of the seventh, but Michael Smith got the run back with a deep blast to centre to start the eighth off Talbert.
Ellison turned to Cameron Johnson to close things out, but he walked two batters on eight pitches and closer Jackson Hohensee took the mound. Thompson bunted the runners over and Anthony Zarzana pulled off the perfect squeeze, making it a one-run game. A Smith sacrifice fly tied it up 8-8 and Furcht, with his fourth hit in five trips to the plate, gave Duluth a 9-8 advantage, their first and only lead of the day.
Matthew Foley retired Trae Cassidy and Trey Fikes, but walked LaChance and Alberto singled to set up the decisive at bat.
The Cats (5-4) hit the road on Thursday to take on Waterloo. They’re back home on Tuesday to face Eau Claire.
