Ricardo Sanchez delivered the decisive blow, a two-run single in the bottom of the sixth inning, and starter Jack Cushing scattered eight hits while fanning seven over seven effective innings to power the host St. Cloud Rox to a 4-3 Northwoods League win over the Duluth Huskies in front of 1,886 fans Thursday night at Joe Faber Field.
The Rox already had scored once to forge a 2-2 tie in the sixth when Sanchez drove in Landon Stephens and Bobby Seymour.
Cushing exited after the seventh with St. Cloud clinging to a 4-3 lead.
Relievers Erik Martinez and Finn Del Bonta-Smith followed by holding the Huskies to just one hit over the final two frames as the Rox (5-4) snapped a six-game skid against Duluth (5-4).
ADVERTISEMENT
The Huskies, who outhit St. Cloud 9-5, have dropped three straight and lost for the first time in seven games against the Rox.
Duluth's Christian Jones and Hunter Bigge notched two hits apiece.
The Huskies scored single runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings.
Duluth tied the game 1-1 in the fifth when Augie Isaacson singled, stole a base, and scored on Nick Sogard’s single. Isaacson now leads the league in all three categories (61 hits, 37 runs, 26 stolen bases).
Jones homered in the sixth inning to give Huskies a 2-1 lead in the sixth inning, and Julian Escobedo led off the seventh inning his own home run.
It was the first home run of the season for both players.
The same teams play at 6:35 p.m. today at Wade Stadium. Hunter Bigge is slated to take the mound for the Huskies.
ADVERTISEMENT
Duluth 000 011 100 -- 3 9 2
St.Cloud 001 003 00x -- 4 5 0
