A furious six-run, three-inning rally by the Eau Claire Express fell short Wednesday night, as the Express dropped their sixth straight game with a 8-6 loss to the Brainerd Lunkers.

After a scoreless inning and a half, the Lunkers scored four times in the bottom of the second to take a 4-0 lead. Brainerd would score each of the next two innings, adding two runs in the third and one run in the fourth to take a 7-0 lead into the fifth.

The Express managed a single score in the top of the fifth before putting up four more runs in the sixth to cut the deficit to 7-5. Eau Claire scored once more in the seventh to pull within a run, but the Lunkers got a run of their own in the bottom of the eighth to earn the win.

The Express are now 0-5 in the second half of the Northwoods League season after winning the first-half South Division title.

Eau Claire continues a week-long road trip tomorrow night as they open a two-game series at Thunder Bay. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m.

Eau Claire
Batter P AB R H RBI BB SO AVG
Fadness, N 2B 5 1 2 0 0 1 .324
Herbst, L DH 5 1 1 0 0 0 .308
Calhoun, K RF 5 1 3 0 0 1 .324
Ringenberg, J 1B 4 1 1 1 1 0 .326
Knight, R CF 3 1 1 1 1 0 .257
Ganek, J 3B 3 1 1 0 1 1 .158
Leonard, A SS 4 0 1 2 0 0 .270
Rinard, B LF 4 0 2 0 0 1 .208
Fujiki, A C 3 0 0 0 0 1 .233
Piazza, D PH 1 0 0 0 0 0 .241

BATTING
RBI: J.Ringenberg (3), R.Knight (16), A.Leonard 2 (16).
CS: N.Fadness (6), B.Rinard (2).
SB: R.Knight (6), B.Rinard (5).
Team LOB: 7.

FIELDING
A: N.Fadness 3 (11), J.Ganek 2 (7), A.Leonard 2 (88), A.Fujiki 3 (8).
E: J.Ringenberg (1), J.Ganek (3).
PB: A.Fujiki (5).
PO: N.Fadness 2 (30), J.Ringenberg 11 (101), R.Knight 2 (50), A.Leonard (48), A.Fujiki 8 (113).
SBA: A.Fujiki 2 (20).
TC: N.Fadness 5 (43), J.Ringenberg 12 (111), R.Knight 2 (50), J.Ganek 3 (15), A.Leonard 3 (141), A.Fujiki 11 (128).

Brainerd
Batter P AB R H RBI BB SO AVG
Wickens, S SS 4 0 1 0 1 0 .278
Berge, T 2B 4 1 1 0 1 1 .301
Gudmunsen, A 1B 5 1 2 0 0 2 .239
Kvasnicka, M DH 4 0 0 0 0 3 .309
Nolen, H C 4 1 1 1 0 0 .235
Gominsky, J RF 4 1 2 1 0 2 .316
Stewart, Z LF 4 1 1 0 0 0 .217
Roe, S 3B 2 2 1 0 2 0 .239
Piwnica-Worms CF 3 1 1 2 0 1 .187

BATTING
2B: H.Nolen (4), J.Gominsky (7), W.Piwnica-Worms (2).
RBI: H.Nolen (7), J.Gominsky (5), W.Piwnica-Worms 2 (6).
SB: S.Wickens (16), S.Roe (2).
Team LOB: 7.

FIELDING
A: S.Wickens 3 (86), T.Berge 3 (69), A.Gudmunsen (19), H.Nolen 2 (16), S.Roe 2 (46).
CS: H.Nolen 2 (2).
E: T.Berge (6).
PO: S.Wickens 2 (48), T.Berge 3 (36), A.Gudmunsen 9 (252), H.Nolen 6 (120), Z.Stewart (35), S.Roe (22), W.Piwnica-Worms 4 (50).
SBA: H.Nolen 4 (33).
TC: S.Wickens 5 (144), T.Berge 7 (111), A.Gudmunsen 10 (273), H.Nolen 8 (137), Z.Stewart (36), S.Roe 3 (75), W.Piwnica-Worms 4 (51).

Pitching Stats
Eau Claire
Pitcher IP H R ER BB SO ERA
Head, L 2.2 7 6 4 2 2 3.93
Campbell, I 4.1 2 1 0 1 5 3.51
Kline, D 1.0 1 1 1 1 2 1.33

PITCHING
BF: L.Head 17, I.Campbell 17, D.Kline 5.
P-S: L.Head 69-38, I.Campbell 68-44, D.Kline 18-11.
WP: L.Head (1).

Brainerd
Pitcher IP H R ER BB SO ERA
O Grady, D 6.0 9 5 4 2 3 1.20
Frongello, M 1.0 2 1 1 1 0 3.10
Mullendore, M 1.0 0 0 0 0 1 0.00
Smith, D 1.0 1 0 0 0 1 1.20

PITCHING
BF: D.O Grady 27, M.Frongello 6, M.Mullendore 3, D.Smith 4.
P-S: D.O Grady 100-58, M.Frongello 26-16, M.Mullendore 13-9, D.Smith 15-10.
WP: D.O Grady 2 (2).