Deja vu for the Beetles

Published on June 29, 2012 under Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Alexandria Beetles News Release


It was deja vu for the Alexandria Beetles and Thunder Bay Border Cats on Thursday night from Knute Nelson as the two sides played their second consecutive instant classic.

One night after the Beetles walked off winners against the Border Cats on a Jimmy Pickens single in the bottom of the tenth, it was Josh Carpenter who played the hero driving in the game-tying and game-winning runs with a chopper through the right side in the home half of the tenth for a 14-13 victory.

For the second consecutive day, Alex Guilford was the relief winner while Mitch McQueen took the defeat.

But the walk-off would not have been possible without a huge frame for the Beetles innings, and hours, earlier.

After Alexandria jumped in front 1-0 in the bottom of the first off a lead-off double by Tanner Vavra who scored on a wild pitch, Thunder Bay scored six unanswered, three unearned in the second, and three earned in the third, off Beetle starter Ali Simpson.

Seemingly in control, the Border Cat pitching imploded in the fifth as 12 Beetles came to the plate, 10 before a single out was recorded. Alexandria scored seven runs in the frame, off just three hits, to retake the lead 8-6. Carpenter, Vavra, and Matt Beaty provided the hits in the inning and three Thunder Bay pitchers combined to walk five batters and hit a pair.

The visitors seized momentum back in the top of the sixth rallying to tie on a two-out single by Scott Donley after a walk and error opened the door. An inning later, three walks, the last with the bases loaded, gave Thunder Bay the lead.

After the Border Cats tacked on three more runs in the eighth to take a commanding 12-8 lead, the Beetle offense sparked back to life. Wednesday's hero Pickens doubled home Ben Moore and Matt Beaty's third hit of the game drove home Pickens to halve the deficit.

On Wednesday, the Border Cats scored a pair off Alexandria closer Anthony Bazzani. On Thursday, it was the Beetles turn to return the favor. Jared Musgrove and Carpenter led off against Jordan McCoy with a pair of hits, Johnny Tolson drove in one run on a single in his final Alexandria at-bat, and Pickens, with a flair for the dramatic, singled home the game tying run with the Beetles down to their final out.

Off three walks and an error, Thunder Bay regained the lead in the top of the tenth. But the Beetles would not be denied their second consecutive walk-off win. An error opened the door on a Josh Guerra grounder and Dylan Raper followed with a bunt single. After Musgrove sacrificed the pair into scoring position, Carpenter hit his chopper through the right side to send home the pair and the Beetles dugout streaming onto the field.

In the four hour marathon, the teams combined to use 11 pitchers, throw 434 pitches, score 27 runs, deliver 23 hits, and commit seven errors.

The teams conclude their three game set at 7:05 CDT Friday.

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Northwoods League Stories from June 29, 2012


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