Border Cats Tag Beetles with First Loss of Season

May 31, 2012 - Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Alexandria Beetles News Release


Behind the dominant pitching of Wes Parsons, the Thunder Bay Border Cats (1-1) salvaged a two-game split in the season-opening series with the Alexandria Beetles (1-1).

Parsons (1-0) stymied the Beetles offense, which put up 12 runs on opening night, scattering nine hits in seven innings while striking out five.

Alexandria starter Mitchell Babb (0-1) struggled with his control from the outset, walking four batters in the first inning to force home a run. But the Beetle bats picked up right where they left off on Wednesday in the bottom of the inning. Will Fulmer continued his torrid start with a leadoff single. After he stole second, a pair of doubles by Johnny Tolson and David Borchardt gave the Beetles a 2-1 lead.

But Parsons retired the next 10 batters after Borchardt's double and the Border Cats took advantage of Babb's wildness to grab the lead in the third. A pair of walks and a single loaded the bases with one out and another walk to Kurtis McCallum forced home a run and spelled the end of the afternoon for Babb. Scott Sanderson came in and induced a groundball to short that was misplayed for an error allowing the go-ahead run to score, a sac fly and a double by the leadoff hitter Phillip Lyons extended the lead to 5-2.

Alexandria pulled a run back in the fourth on a solo homerun by Jon Traetow into the trees beyond the 345 centerfield porch, but that was as close as the Beetles would get.

In the seventh, a booted double-play grounder and a misplayed fly which turned into a bases-clearing double for Matt Jones allowed Thunder Bay to blow the game open at 8-3, and though the Beetles threatened in the ninth thanks to a pair of walks and a hit batter that allowed two runs to score, the potential tying run was stranded in the on-deck circle as David Garcia struck out looking.

Will Fulmer was 3-4 and was hit by a pitch and has reached base in nine of his 11 plate appearances this year.

Of the first 11 outs committed by the Beetles, nine came on ground balls to the Thunder Bay middle infielders and two came via the strikeout.

The Beetles remain at Knute Nelson Ballpark on Friday when they host the Duluth Huskies. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 with the pre-game show on Alexandria Beetles television and radio beginning at 6:50.



Northwoods League Stories from May 31, 2012


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