Huskies, Cats Duel for Ninth and Tenth Times with Early Standings Placement on the Line
July 7, 2024 - Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Duluth Huskies News Release
The Huskies return home for the second time in the second half with a 3-1 record and tied atop the Great Plains East. It's a familiar foe for the Huskies as the Thunder Bay Border Cats come to the Wade. Here are the five things to know and game notes packet (linked above) for the series:
LAST TIME OUT: The Huskies hit the road for the first time in the second half to begin the weekend and came back with a sweep over the Waterloo Bucks. In game one, the Huskies overcame a 12-0 deficit with 13 unanswered runs and an incredible victory. MJ Sweeney had an incredible nine (9) RBIs in the victory, including the go-ahead grand slam in the top of the ninth that turned a three-run deficit into a one-run lead. Ethan Cole, in his second appearance on the mound this season, entered the game with the Huskies down 12-0, and gave the Huskies a shot to win with 3.2 shutout innings. Caden Kratz finished the job with a save in the ninth. In game two, the run parade carried on for the Huskies. They plated 12 more in a dominant win, 12-1. Max Coupe (4 RBI) and Joshua Duarte (3 RBI) carried the load offensively for the Huskies in this one as Sweeney was held quiet. But it didn't matter for the Huskies as they got a big start out of Isaac Rohde (6.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R).
OFFENSIVE ONSLAUGHT: The Huskies scored 25 runs in the series against the Bucks, the Huskies most over a two-game series since June 28/29 of last season, also against Waterloo. At one point, the Huskies scored 24 unanswered runs in the series. This is the second series this season that the Huskies have scored 20+ runs in a two-game series this year (May 31/June 1 vs St. Cloud, 23).
MVP MJ? 9 RBIs in a game will do this for you, but MJ Sweeney vaulted up the offensive leaderboards with his performance against Waterloo last weekend. He hit two home runs to give him 10 on the season and his RBI total is now up to an even 40 on the year. Both of these numbers are second in the Northwoods League. After the Huskies had the league MVP last year, it is certainly not out of the realm of possibility that Sweeney could be in the conversation by year's end.
BREAKING DOWN THE BORDER CATS: Thunder Bay got out to a blazing hot start, opening the season 10-2 and out to a commanding lead in the Great Plains East. However, their hunt for the squad's first playoff berth since 2008 was thwarted by a mid-half dry spell, dropping 10 of 13. They finished the half winning five (5) of six, but by then it was too little, too late. For the first half. So far in the second half, the Border Cats have carried the momentum from the end of the first half. They've opened by grabbing a split with St. Cloud and sweeping the team that caught them for the division, La Crosse. Cole Ketzner (.962 OPS, 26 RBI) and Zane Skansi (.939 OPS, 22 RBI) have survived the roster turnover north of the border which is a good thing for the Border Cats offense. They've been some of their most consistent performers all year and they've each done well against the Huskies. 10 of Ketzner's RBIs have come in the eight games against Duluth. Skansi has had a hit in all but one of his seven games against Duluth and seven (7) RBIs as well. Thunder Bay's pitching staff will also present a challenge for the Huskies this week. While they haven't been as dominant as the beginning of the year, the staff ERA sits at 4.33, 4th-best in the Northwoods League.
CHRISTMAS IN JULY: On Sunday, Wade Stadium is having Christmas in July Night in collaboration with Bentleyville Tour of Lights. The first 250 fans in the building will receive an ornament from Bentleyville. Plus, in the spirit of Christmas and winter, sundaes are $6. Tickets can be found here if you want to join us for this and/or any future home games.
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Northwoods League Stories from July 7, 2024
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