THUNDER BAY – May 30, 2025 – PORT ARTHUR STADIUM – Alright Cats fans, if you were in the house Friday night, you know the scoreboard didn’t quite go our way, but the heart? Oh, the heart was pure Thunder Bay! Our Border Cats dropped Game 3 of the series to the visiting Rochester Honkers, 12-6, in a wild one packed with early fireworks—and not just the kind that lit up the post-game sky.
Rough Start for the Cats
It was a bumpy opening frame for starting pitcher Jackson Irwin, who was tagged early. The Rochester bats came out hot—lead-off walk, a single, and then a two-run double off the bat of Maddox Haley got things rolling for the Honkers.
Despite getting two outs, Irwin ran into more trouble, hitting a batter, walking another, and then the Honkers’ number-nine hitter Brandon Contreras came through with a clutch two-run single. Just like that, the Cats were down 4-0, and Irwin’s night was cut short by the Northwoods League’s 35-pitch limit rule.
Honkers Keep the Pressure On
Isaac Hines was called in from the bullpen in the second and struggled to slow the Honkers, giving up another two, including a moonshot homer by—you guessed it—Contreras, who had himself a night.
Late-Inning Fight from the Cats
Rochester piled on again in the eighth, dropping another six-spot that put the game out of reach for good.
But the fans did not count these Cats out too early! In true Thunder Bay fashion, the boys clawed back with four big runs in the bottom of the eighth before the Honkers could record a single out.
Jeremy Sheffield, who went 2-for-5 with two runs scored, helped spark that rally and gave fans something to cheer about.
Porter Jorgenson gave the bullpen some life late, tossing 1.1 shutout innings, and that’s the kind of depth we like to see building as the season unfolds.
Fans Stay Loud and Proud
Even after the tough loss, the show wasn’t over. The crowd of Cats faithful stuck around for the always popular fireworks display, lighting up the Thunder Bay sky in true Friday night fashion. It’s a tradition that keeps the energy high and the community connected, win or lose.
🗓️ What’s Next?
The Border Cats and Honkers wrap up this four-game tilt Saturday night at 6:35 p.m. right back here at Port Arthur Stadium. Expect a hungry Cats lineup looking to even the series at two games apiece.
So grab your glove, your rally cap, and a tall can of RBI Lager—because we’re not done yet, Thunder Bay.
Let’s go, Cats! Let’s bring it home!
