Huskies Avoid the Upset as Duluth Moves into the Top Spot of the Great Plains East Division
July 26, 2024 - Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Duluth Huskies News Release
The Huskies got after the Mud Puppies right away as Anthony Barrera tossed a 3 up-and-3-down first inning. The offense after getting 2 quick outs through the first 3 batters but then the walks started to pile up Griffin Fenske's night would come to an end. Drew Girtz came in and got an out immediately, but not before the Huskies walked in two runs.
Josh Dykhoff led the inning off by bunting his way on base, the next batter Harrison Bowman would reach on an error. Tomas Lee stepped up to the plate with 1 down in the inning and hit a single to load the bases for the Mud Puppies. Matthew Maulik would drive in a run as he reached on a fielder's choice cutting the Huskies lead in half. The next batter Gavyn Schacher unloaded a double into right that would score Bowman and Maulik.
It was smooth sailing for both sides until the bottom of the 5th as Tyler Palmer hit a solo home run to tie up the game 3-3. For Girtz it was only the second hit he gave up all day and he went 3 up and 3 down following the homer.
The Mud Puppies continued to match whatever the Huskies offense would put up. Caden Edwards came in to relieve Barrera after firing 5 strong innings in his first start with the Huskies. Edwards walked and hit a batter, they brought in Sam Kratz. A perfectly executed bunt by Tomas Lee loaded the bases. Maulik the next batter would ground into a 6-4-3 double play but it came at a price, as Bowman came around to score. Fischer advanced to third on the double play and would score on a wild pitch in the next at-bat making it 5-3 after the top of the 6th.
As the game carried on into the bottom of the 7th Nolan Barry led off the inning with a walk but was caught stealing the following at bat. Fortunately for the Huskies Cardell Thibodeaux, Palmer, and Joshua Duarte all took walks to load the bases. Charlie Sutherland was able to advance all of the runners on a sac fly RBI to cut the Puppies' lead to just one. The next at-bat Palmer was able to score off of a wild pitch evening the score up 5-5.
Jakob Schulz came into pitch in the 8th for the Huskies. Schulz walked the lead-off batter Bowman but was shut down after that. Schulz went Strikeout, putout, strikeout to end the top of the 8th.
With a chance to take their first lead since the first inning Jake Downing worked a lead-off walk but was sent back as Jayden Duplantier hustled down the line on a fielder's choice. Reagan Reeder earned a walk against Justin Benjamin and that was the last batter he would face. Sam Cooper would come in to face off against Max Coupe who was hitting in the place of Barry. In a long battle, Coupe earned a one-out walk. Cooper would get the best of Thibodeaux but that was not the story for Tyler Palmer. Palmer with the count in the favor of Cooper was able to put the bat on the ball in such a tough spot Schacher had no chance at making the play. This base hit would give the Huskies a 6-5 lead as they headed to the top of the 9th.
Jakob Schulz sent Schacher down on 3 pitches to earn the first out of the 9th. However, the task at hand did not get any easier as the top of the order was due up for the Mud Puppies. Mitch Cummins, Brock Larsen, and Will Smoot walked the bases loaded. Luckily for the Huskies, the Vanderbilt Commodore rose to the occasion. Shultz dealt back-to-back strikeouts to shut the door and left three Mud Puppies stranded on base. The Huskies avoid the sweep and the upset winning it 6-5 in Duluth.
The Huskies are back at it again tomorrow at the Wade as they look to expand on their first lead in the Great Plains East since early June. They take on the Fond Du Lac Dock Spiders with the first pitch at 6:35 CT.
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