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Northwoods Duluth Huskies

Fairytale Fifth Inning Propelled Duluth in the Series Finale Against Thunder Bay

August 1, 2024 - Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Duluth Huskies News Release


It was a quick start for Ian Fisher as he led the game off for the Huskies with a strikeout. Jackson Cooke was able to get on with a 2-out single. Fisher was able to bounce back quickly and get the final out of the inning with the following batter.

Cardell Thibodeaux led the inning off for the Huskies with a walk. Joshua Duarte served a single into right to put runners on first and second. Trey Fikes cut the Huskies runners in half as the double steal was unsuccessful and Duarte got thrown out. During the same at-bat, Max Coupe hit it deep enough to score Thibodeaux. Ethan Cole got on base with a 2-out single but he was stranded at first.

Thunder Bay got things going in the second Sam Stem walked and Trey Fikes singled to put runners on first and second with no outs. Fisher tossed another strikeout however, the next batter Garrett Sloan singled and scored Stem. The next batter Brayden Kuriger hit a sacrifice fly to score Fikes and to give Thunder Bay a 2-1 lead.

Leading off the second Jake Downing nailed a double into right center. Downing was able to advance to third off of a ground-out courtesy of Jayden Duplantier. Micahel Gabbard playing complimentary baseball hit another sac fly for the Huskies to tie the game 2-2. Brady Sullivan would hit a 2-out single but his trip on the base path ended rather quickly as he was thrown out by Fikes.

Zach Kruseske in his Huskies debut gave a lead-off single to Cooke but was lock down after that for the Skies. Sending the next 3 batters down in order including a strikeout in the mix.

The lead-off batter for the Huskies flew out to center field for the first out of the inning. However, the next two batters Duarte and Coupe both walked, to put runners on first and second. Ethan Cole was able to stay perfect through two at-bats as he hit a single that scored Duarte. Jake Downing would follow suit and hit a 2-out single to score Max Coupe. That single would end the night for Thunder Bay's starter Adam Metivier, as Parker Burgess would close out the inning for the Cats.

Kruseske and Burgess were both in cruise control for the 4th inning as they both faced the minimum. Strikeout number 2 was picked up by both pitchers in the inning as well.

In the top of the 5th Zane Skansi hit a 1-out single to get the Cats going. Jackson Cooke remained perfect through 3 at-bats as he walked to put runners on first and second with just one out in the inning. This is when Zach Kruseske locked in and delivered two consecutive outs for his new team and stranded two Border Cats on the bases.

The Huskies exploded in the 5th inning putting up 6 runs to blow the game wide open. After a groundout to start the inning, Max Coupe walked on 4 pitches. Ethan Cole hit an infield single but there was some indecision with the Border Cats infield and a throwing error, Coupe was able to score making it 5-2. The Huskies were not stopping there, on a full count to Charlie Sutherland Thunder Bay made a call to the bullpen. They brought in Carter Wall for the lefty-lefty match-up between Wall and Sutherland. After fouling off one pitch, Sutherland launched the payoff pitch deep into right field making it 5-2. After a walk and stolen base for Jake Downing, he was able to score with the infield in as Duplantier hammered one up the middle. Duplantier would steal a base and then on the next pitch Michael Gabbard was hit by a pitch. Thibodeaux reached on a walk and Duarte got in on the action with an RBI single making it 10-2 Duluth.

Ryan Prettol came in to pitch the 6th inning for the Huskies and after a rough start walking the first three batters, Prettol got back-and-back strikeouts against Kuriger and Maddox McDonald. Unfortunately, for Prettol the walks came back, and Skansi would reach and get an RBI via the free pass. Jackson Cooke would line out to Duplantier who made a fantastic grab to end the Cat's threat.

Matthew Foley and Ryan Vondracek both had very clean and efficient innings in the 7th. Foley faced off against 4 Cats, as Fikes hit a 2-out single. Vondracek would face the minimum.

Foley faced the minimum the following inning and he added a second strikeout to his night for a very clean appearance for him.

Max Coupe led off the 8th with a single, and after Cole lined out, Sutherland was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second. Jake Downing continued his great day at the plate and ripped another double in the gap that tacked on another run to the Huskies lead making it 11-3. The Huskies scoring would end there but they set the table well for the top of the 9th.

Sam Kratz in his second straight game got the ball for the 9th inning. Kratz wasted no time throwing only 10 pitched with a strikeout in the mix to end the game. Max Coupe was able to end the game with some swagger, as he made a sliding grab in shallow right field.

The Huskies will be in action tomorrow as they look to expand on their first-place lead in the Great Plains East division in Eau Claire. The first pitch at Carson Park will be at 6:35 (CT).

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