Express Hold off Border Cats 8-5
Northwoods Eau Claire Express

Express Hold off Border Cats 8-5

July 8, 2025 - Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Eau Claire Express News Release


Eau Claire, Wis. - The Trains are back in the win column.

The Express rode an early 7-1 lead to victory in the opener against Thunder Bay, holding off a late Border Cats comeback to win 8-5 and snap a four-game skid. Alex Hendrickson (St. Thomas) led the way with two hits and three runs batted in and Kenneth Fistler (Alma) induced two double plays to pick up the four-out save.

The Border Cats got on the board first with Manny Alberto's RBI double in the opening frame, but Eau Claire responded in a big way. The hosts sent 11 batters to the plate, ultimately scoring five runs on three hits and an error. Hendrickson cleared the bases with a double to the right-center field gap to put the Trains on top before scoring two batters later on an RBI single from JJ Moran (Stanford). Sam Erickson (Texas A&M) walked with the bases loaded in his second at-bat of the inning and suddenly Eau Claire held a commanding 5-1 lead.

The Trains continued to add on in the third. Nick Mascaro (Cal State Bakersfield) demolished a pitch off the tent of the Calhoun Club in right field for his first home run of the season, putting the Express ahead by five. Three walks and a wild pitch followed and Vidal Colon (Illinois-Chicago) came across the plate to extend the advantage to 7-1.

Starting pitcher Max Arlich (Arizona State) pitched well after giving up the early run, shutting down Thunder Bay for the next four innings and allowing his offense to build the lead. He ran into some trouble in his sixth and final inning of work as Devon Smith hit a three-run home run to cut the deficit in half, but the Sun Devil finished out the inning to turn the game over to the bullpen with Eau Claire still leading comfortably.

The visitors continued to inch closer in the eighth as they added another run on Tyrus Hall's RBI double and reloaded the bases to continue the threat. Express manager Dale Varsho turned to Fistler with one out and three runners on - a move that paid off as the submarine pitcher induced a 5-4-3 double play to escape the inning with a 7-5 lead.

A vital insurance run crossed the plate in the bottom half of the inning for the Trains to extend the lead back to three runs. Jackson Glueck (Pima) worked a leadoff single and moved station-to-station around the basepaths to come home on another Border Cats wild pitch, putting his team ahead 8-5.

Fistler trotted back to the mound for the ninth inning looking to pick up the save for the Express, but the Canton, Mich., native ran into some trouble. Two singles brought the tying run to the plate with one out, but a second double play in as many innings ended the game as Hendrickson glove-flipped a ground ball to second baseman Adam Salazar (Cal State Bakersfield) who fired it on to first for the third out.

The win improved Eau Claire to 3-4 in the second half as Arlich picked up the win. Game 2 of the series against Thunder Bay is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. Tuesday before the Express play a double-header against Minot Wednesday. Chippewa Falls, Wis., native Easton Bobb is scheduled to get the start against the Border Cats.



Northwoods League Stories from July 8, 2025


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