The Duluth Huskies couldn’t preserve a two-run lead Sunday at Wade Stadium, where the St. Cloud Rox scored five unanswered runs over the final three innings to split the home-and-home Northwoods League series in front of 2,223 fans.
Huskies started Ryan Tapani exited with a 2-1 lead after pitching 61/3 solid innings, but relievers Trevino Rodriguez and Wade Regas combined to allow four runs the rest of the way to snap Duluth’s modest winning streak at two games.
Rox pinch-runner Drew Freedman scored the go-ahead run on a two-out wild pitch in the top of the eighth inning. They tacked on two more in the ninth to remain in first place in the North Division.
The Huskies’ Reid Long was the lone player to tally multiple hits, going 2-for-4 with a double. After Duluth’s 14-7 victory in Saturday’s 24-hit slugfest, the teams combined for just 10 hits Sunday. St. Cloud benefited from nine walks, including three in the ninth inning.
The Huskies, in last place in the North, are off today before continuing their homestand against Green Bay on Tuesday.
Sunday’s Box Score
Rox 5, Huskies 2
St. Cloud Duluth
ab r h bi ab r h bi
Carson rf 3 0 0 0 Amaral cf 4 1 1 0
Ramirez cf 4 1 1 0 Bernard c 4 0 1 1
Ringhofer c 1 0 0 0 Pries rf 4 0 0 0
Strem 1b 3 1 1 0 Paulson dh 3 0 0 0
Karas 3b 4 1 0 1 Long lf 4 1 2 0
Pope 2b 3 0 0 0 Sabino 3b 4 0 0 0
Benson ss 3 1 1 2 Brown 1b 2 0 1 1
Skonczny dh 2 0 1 1 Moses 2b 3 0 1 0
Frdman pr 0 1 0 0 McClary ss 3 0 0 0
Bobo lf 3 0 0 0
Mamarlla lf 0 0 0 0
Totals 26 5 4 4 Totals 31 2 6 2
St. Cloud 000 000 122 - 5
Duluth 011 000 000 - 2
2B - Long (8). SB - Benson 2 (4), Amaral (19), Bernard (4), Paulson (1).
LOB - St. Cloud 4, Duluth 4.
IP H R ER BB SO
St. Cloud
Caspersen 6.1 6 2 2 2 4
Rozek (W, 3-1) 1.2 0 0 0 0 0
Glowicki (S, 4) 1.0 0 0 0 0 1
Duluth
Tapani 6.1 1 1 1 5 2
Rodriguez (L, 1-3) 1.2 1 2 2 2 0
Regas 1.0 2 2 2 2 0
WP - Caspersen (3), Rodriguez (8).
T - 2:37. A - 2,223.
NORTHWOODS LEAGUE
Second Half
North Division
W L Pct GB
St. Cloud 10 5 .667 -
Willmar 10 6 .625 ½
Mankato 10 6 .625 ½
x-Eau Claire 9 7 .563 1½
La Crosse 7 8 .467 3
Waterloo 7 9 .438 3½
Duluth 6 10 .375 4½
Thunder Bay 6 10 .375 4½
Rochester 6 10 .375 4½
x-won first half
South Division
W L Pct GB
Rockford 10 6 .625 -
x-Wis. Rapids 10 6 .625 -
Green Bay 9 7 .563 1
Wisconsin 9 7 .563 1
Madison 8 8 .500 2
Battle Creek 8 8 .500 2
Kalamazoo 7 9 .438 3
Lakeshore 7 9 .438 3
Kenosha 4 12 .250 6
x-won first half
Saturday’s Results
Duluth 14, St. Cloud 7
Thunder Bay 2, Wisconsin Rapids 1, 10 innings
Battle Creek 8, Madison 5
Eau Claire 8, La Crosse 2
Mankato 6, Waterloo 1
Wisconsin at Kenosha, ppd.
Kalamazoo at Lakeshore, ppd.
Green Bay at Rockford, ppd.
Rochester at Willmar, ppd.
Sunday’s Results
St. Cloud 5, Duluth 2
Wisconsin 7, Kenosha 6, 7 innings
Green Bay 5, Rockford 0, 7 innings
Kalamazoo 3, Lakeshore 2
Willmar 10, Rochester 1, 7 innings
Waterloo 8, Mankato 3
Battle Creek 4, Madison 2
Wisconsin 7, Kenosha 6, 8 innings
Green Bay 8, Rockford 4, 7 innings
Wisconsin Rapids 5, Thunder Bay 1
Lakeshore 9, Kalamazoo 2, 7 innings
Eau Claire 7, La Crosse 4
Willmar 6, Rochester 0, 7 innings
Today’s Game
Rochester at Waterloo, 7:05 p.m.
