Huskies Offense Stifled, Loggers Win, 4-1
Published on July 4, 2026 under Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Duluth Huskies News Release
Duluth, Minn. - It was a short day at the ballpark on July 4th, as La Crosse (3-2) downed Duluth (1-3) by a 4-1 score in front of 934 fans on the holiday matinee. The game lasted just 2 hours and 15 minutes, marking the shortest nine-inning affair in Duluth all season, clearing the next shortest game by 21 minutes in a pitcher's duel.
Only four pitchers were used in total in the contest, and all four were excellent but it was the Loggers arms that stole the show. Northwestern University freshman James Whitaker got the start, his first of the year, and dominated. Whitaker tossed six innings, allowing just two hits and a hit by pitch while walking none. Only one run crossed the plate against the righty and while he only struck out three, he shut down Duluth for six innings on just 62 pitches. Whitaker retired the final 12 hitters he faced, mixing four pitches to effectiveness with the curveball stealing the show for most of the afternoon. Peyton Olds came on to face Duluth for the fourth time this season and had his most effective outing against the home team. Olds allowed two of the first three hitters to reach, but retired the final eight. He finished with three innings pitched, no hits or runs allowed and one strikeout to one walk.
Iowa Hawkeye Nick Terhaar made it a Big Ten pitching matchup in the Twin Ports. Terhaar stumbled through the first two innings, allowing two walks in the first and two runs on a third walk and back to back doubles in the second, but settled in for a quality start of his own. Despite taking the loss, Terhaar allowed just three runs through six good innings, giving up six hits and four walks while striking out three. He took the loss, but it was the longest start of the season for Terhaar in his third time facing La Crosse. Michael Zunker made his first appearance for Duluth, allowing five hits but just one unearned run in three innings of cleanup.
The Loggers managed 11 hits, with five different players racking up two-hit days. However, they stranded 11 men on and Duluth issued just four walks and one hit by pitch, limiting the damage with the hits mostly spread out through the game. Carson Ohland's two-run double in the second held up as the winner. Logan de Groot, Whitaker's teammate at Northwestern, delivered a double, an RBI and a run across a 2-for-4 day.
Duluth cobbled together a single in the second from Dax Hardcastle and a single from Waylon Walsh in the third for their only knocks of the afternoon. Walsh scored the team's lone run on an Anthony Cepeda sacrifice fly. The Huskies reached just five times as a team, with Hardcastle being the lone man on base twice. It took just 108 pitches to dispatch Duluth with both Whitaker and Olds recording a bevy of quick outs thanks to just four combined strikeouts and one total walk.
The win clinched the season series victory for La Crosse, who moved to 5-2 against Duluth. It also furthered the overall division lead for the Loggers, who clinched a playoff spot with their first half performance.
On Deck
The Huskies and Loggers will play the final game of the season series tomorrow, Sunday June 5, at Wade Stadium at 3:05 p.m. The teams will then hit the four day All-Star Break, with Jalen Smith being the lone representative for Duluth in both the All-Star Game and Home Run Challenge. Following the break, Duluth is back at home to take on Waterloo on Friday and Saturday before heading to North Dakota one final time. Tickets for Duluth home games can be found online at the website, and all Huskies action both home and away is streamed on FloSports.
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