Border Cats Walk It Off in 10th to Win Home Opener at Port Arthur Stadium

Thunder Bay – Sports – What a game! Cue the opening-night roar. The Thunder Bay Border Cats gave 2,345 fans at Port Arthur Stadium a finish worth staying for Friday night, rallying in the bottom of the 10th inning to beat the Eau Claire Express 2-1 in their Northwoods League home opener.

The Cats returned to their den at Port Arthur Stadium after a rough road trip that included a 18-0 claw down. But last night in a win that saw the Border Cats remain focused and poised, the signs of a winning team were there for all to see.

Thunder Bay turns the night around in the 10th

For nine innings, this one was a pitchers’ duel with both clubs locked in and every base runner carrying playoff-level tension. Then the extra-inning rule put the pressure on, and Eau Claire struck first.

The Express pushed across the game’s first run in the top of the 10th when Jaxon Schumacher singled to left field to score Adam Salazar, giving Eau Claire a 1-0 lead and putting the Cats down to their final three outs.

Then came the Border Cats’ answer.

With Jesus Vasquez starting the inning at second base, Manny Alberto of Western Kentucky University ripped a double down the right-field line to tie the game 1-1. Dante Smith of North Dakota State University followed with an infield single, putting runners at the corners with nobody out.

That brought up Alex Kean of Morehead State University. One swing, one fly ball, one dash home — Kean lifted a sacrifice fly to centrefield, Alberto tagged from third, and Port Arthur Stadium had its first walk-off party of the season. The Northwoods League credited Alberto with a 2-for-3 night, including the tying double, while Kean drove in the winner.

Pitching keeps the Cats close

The comeback was made possible by a Thunder Bay pitching staff that kept the Express quiet all night.

Makaio Cisneros of Florida Atlantic University set the tone, throwing four scoreless innings with six strikeouts. Judd Hildreth of Murray State University added two scoreless, hitless innings out of the bullpen.

Then Anthony Unga of Creighton University took the ball and shut the door, earning the win after allowing just one hit over three strong innings while striking out four.

For a home opener, that is exactly the kind of mound work a manager wants to see: strikes, composure and no panic when the game tightened up late.

Why it matters for Thunder Bay

Opening night at Port Arthur Stadium is more than a baseball date on the calendar. It is one of Thunder Bay’s sure signs that summer sports have arrived.

The Border Cats play in the Northwoods League’s Great Plains East division alongside teams including Duluth, Eau Claire, La Crosse, Rochester and Waterloo, giving Thunder Bay a cross-border summer baseball schedule that keeps the city connected to regional sport markets in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa.

For local fans, a crowd of 2,345 on a Friday night is also a strong signal. It means families are back in the stands, young players are watching college-level talent up close, and the stadium remains a gathering place for the city’s north-side sports culture.

And for the Cats? A 2-1 walk-off win is the kind of early-season result that can settle a clubhouse. Close game. Late deficit. Big crowd. Extra innings. Finishing the job.

Next up

The Border Cats wrap up their home series with Eau Claire on Saturday at 6:35 p.m. at Port Arthur Stadium.

Left-hander Carson Small of Pensacola State Community College is the scheduled starter for Thunder Bay after throwing four shutout innings in the season-opening win at Waterloo.