Huskies Split Doubleheader against the Hot Tots in Two Close Contests

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Northwoods Duluth Huskies

Huskies Split Doubleheader against the Hot Tots in Two Close Contests

June 18, 2025 - Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Duluth Huskies News Release


MINOT, N.D. - The Duluth Huskies split their doubleheader against the Minot Hot Tots on Tuesday, with both games decided within three runs.

The first game began at 9:05 a.m., and neither team's bats were fully awake. Michael Smith walked and worked his way around the bases to score a first inning run, but the Huskies were held hitless through the first five innings of the game.

Despite the no hits, Duluth still led Minot 1-0 heading into the sixth. Starting pitcher Anthony Andrews was incredible, striking out six through the scoreless five innings.

The Huskies would gift him some insurance with a big sixth frame. After Tommy Farmer led off the inning with a hit by pitch, Smith followed with a walk to get two runners on for the heart of the order. With one out, Ethan Surowiec came up to the plate.

After three hits and three RBI's the night before, Surowiec delivered again in Minot. Duluth's cleanup hitter blasted one off the 410 foot sign on the centerfield wall, giving him a two-run triple. He was brought home by a Paul Contreras sacrifice fly on the very next at-bat to make it 4-0 Huskies.

Minot would eat into that lead, finally scoring a run off of Andrews, and then tacking on another against Bjorn Lind in the seventh.

After eight innings of play, the Huskies had just the one Surowiec hit to their name, but still led 4-2.

Surowiec would add another hit to the total to begin the ninth. Getting hold of a pitch on the outside corner, Surowiec sent an opposite field home run over the wall in right to give the Huskies a three run advantage.

That proved to be plenty of support for Simon Murray to close the ballgame. Murray pitched perfect eighth and ninth innings with four total strikeouts for his second save of the season. The Huskies won game one, 5-2.

In game two, Duluth got out to another great start. Surowiec stayed hot with a two out knock to left field that scored Michael Smith and gave the Huskies another first inning run.

Bjorn Lind followed his lead, singling home Trey Craig, on base with a double, for run number two. Lind and Elijah Fairchild would later pull off a double steal, and the Huskies led 3-0 after two offensive innings.

Minot responded in a big way thanks to designated hitter Charlie Kalbrener. After a leadoff double to begin the bottom of the second, Kalbrener golfed a Jackson Smith curveball just inside the right field foul pole for a two-run shot. In the bottom of the third, Kalbrener stepped in the box again, this time with two runners on. He was ready for the curveball once more, hitting his second homer in as many innings to give the Hot Tots a 5-3 lead.

As expected, the comeback Huskies would answer back. Duluth put loads of traffic on the bases in the top of the fifth, plating three runs on RBI singles by Noah Furcht and Trey Craig, plus another sacrifice fly off the bat of Contreras. They retook their lead, 6-5.

Still 6-5 in the bottom of the eighth, the Hot Tots were primed for another big inning. Huskies reliever Cole Kenyon loaded the bases with nobody out to work himself into quite the pickle. With the top of the order now coming up, Kenyon struck out the next two batters he faced, including Hot Tot star Henry Allen.

Christian Stratis wasn't going to allow Kenyon to work out of the jam, though. Stratis smoked the first pitch he saw into the left field corner, unloading the bases and giving Minot an 8-6 lead, a lead they would hold onto in the ninth despite a bases loaded situation for the Huskies.

On Deck

The doubleheader split moved the Huskies to a 13-11 mark, now a third of the way done with their season already. They'll play the fourth and final game of the Minot series Wednesday night at 6:35 p.m. before heading to Dickinson for two more North Dakota games.



Northwoods League Stories from June 18, 2025


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