
For Huskies, Honkers, Everything Is on the Line in the Regular Season Finale
August 9, 2024 - Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Duluth Huskies News Release
The final series of the regular season is upon us and the Duluth Huskies are welcoming the Rochester Honkers in to Wade Stadium. To answer the question, yes, the Huskies can clinch today. Read on to find out how in our five things to know and game notes packet (linked above) for the final regular season series of the year:
LAST TIME OUT: The Huskies started the final four games against the Waterloo Bucks at home, picking up a split over the two game series. In game one, with steady rain falling throughout the duration of the contest, picked up a win, 3-1. Only one run scored for either side before the eighth inning, and it came on a wild pitch. The Huskies took advantage of one in the bottom of the fourth to take the lead. Huskies starter Anthony Barrera pitched well through five shutout innings. The Bucks tied it in the eighth but the walks bug bit the Bucks in bottom of the eighth and the Huskies made them pay for it to score twice and clinch the win. Game two was a seesawing, back-and-forth battle. When one team scored, the other team responded right back. It went this way until the eighth when the Huskies broke a 5-5 tie with three runs off of All-Star Bucks reliever Chaney Trout. However, in the bottom of the ninth, the walk bug bit the Huskies this time and the Bucks scored six times to turn the game upside down. The result was a win, 11-8, for the Bucks and a missed opportunity for the Huskies.
CLINCHING SCENARIO: The Huskies and the Eau Claire Express are currently tied atop the Great Plains East division standings. However, the Huskies currently own the top spot in the division due to owning the head-t0-head advantage over the Express. As a result, the magic number is just two games. So, the Huskies can clinch on Friday with a win over the Honkers AND a loss by the Express to the Madison Mallards. If that happens, the Huskies will be in the postseason. Any other combination, and the race will go into tomorrow.
NO HITS FOR YOU: The Duluth pitching staff has enjoyed one of the better turnarounds of any team in the Northwoods League this season. After spending much of the first half in the bottom half of the league in many pitching categories, the Huskies have made a big rise in the ranks. They rank in the top-10 of the NWL in team ERA (5.50, 9th) and have moved into the top five in oBA (.253, 5th). The oBA has seen an improvement of .012 from the .265 mark at the start of the second half, a number that ranked 15th in the league.
HOWDY, HONKERS: After a tough first half, the Honkers have played much better in the second half, improving from just 12 wins in the first half to 17 here in the second half. The offense is certainly one to worry about, especially the power the Honkers possess. They have hit 74 home runs on the summer, tied for the second-most in the Northwoods League. Eleven Honkers have at least five on the summer, led by C Luca Dipaolo's nine home runs. The month of August has been good for the offense so far as they've scored 56 runs in the six games so far. A mid-half stretch losing eight of nine has put them in a precarious position right now, 1.5 back of the top two teams with two games to play. After hemorrhaging runs in the first half, the Honkers staff has enjoyed a similar turnaround to the Huskies. The team ERA sits just outside the top-10; currently they are 11th in the league. However, they still allow a lot of hits - the sixth-most in the league to be precise. How much they can navigate traffic will be a huge factor.
A BIG WEEKEND AT THE WADE: It's the final regular season series at the Wade this weekend, and the Huskies are celebrating accordingly. Friday night, the Huskies are hosting their second, and final, postgame fireworks show of the summer. That game will also see discounts on select drinks. For the regular season finale, the Huskies are hosting the 9 Innings of Winning, where the team will be handing out prizes all night long. Plus, the Huskies will be rocking the throwback Duluth Dukes jerseys. We hope that you can join us this weekend! Tickets can be found here or you can walk up and buy them at the stadium.
• Discuss this story on the Northwoods League message board...
Northwoods League Stories from August 9, 2024
- Rox Win Seventh Straight Game with 12-2 Takedown of Willmar - St. Cloud Rox
- Bold Breaks Another Record as Rockers Fall to Rafters - Green Bay Rockers
- We're in! Huskies Silence Honkers with Dominant Pitching, Earn Trip Back to Postseason - Duluth Huskies
- Chucks' Streak Comes to an End - Wausau Woodchucks
- Fifth Inning Dominos Hands Lakeshore to Loss in Tug-O-War Match - Lakeshore Chinooks
- Michael Perazza Walks off the Wausau Woodchucks 5-4 - Kenosha Kingfish
- Huskies Eliminate Honkers from Postseason Contention - Rochester Honkers
- Spitters Eliminated from Playoff Contention - Traverse City Pit Spitters
- Kalamazoo Growlers Claim Second Half Division Title, Securing Third Straight Playoff Berth - Kalamazoo Growlers
- Former Wisconsin Woodchuck Parker Dunshee Debuts with the Braves - Northwoods
- Rockers Head to Wisconsin Rapids for Final Series of Season - Green Bay Rockers
- Path to the Playoffs: Huskies Clinching Scenario - Duluth Huskies
- For Huskies, Honkers, Everything Is on the Line in the Regular Season Finale - Duluth Huskies
- Ryan Kraft Wins Northwoods League Pitcher of the Night - Kalamazoo Growlers
- 1: The Magic Number to a Growlers' Postseason Berth - Kalamazoo Growlers
- Dock Spiders Win Second Straight Against Wisconsin Rapids, 6-4 - Fond du Lac Dock Spiders
- Wisdom's 2 HRs Not Enough in Chinooks' Extra Innings Loss - Lakeshore Chinooks
- Growlers Sweep Series Against Royal Oak in Home Regular Season Finale - Kalamazoo Growlers
- Madison Mallards Win Instant Classic on Robinson Walk-off Hit - Madison Mallards
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
Other Recent Duluth Huskies Stories
- Alumni Kristian Campbell Leads in MiLB Accolades
- Duluth Huskies Welcome Back Nolan
- Duluth Huskies Welcome New General Manager
- Slow Start Dooms Huskies Again as Season Comes to a Close at the Hands of the Loggers
- Huskies Can't Climb out of Early Deficit, Routed by Loggers in Game 1

