NL Gary SouthShore Railcats

Five Run Ninth Propels RailCats to 10-5 Win in Joliet

Published on July 18, 2008 under Northern League (NL)
Gary SouthShore Railcats News Release


JOLIET, Ill. - The Gary SouthShore RailCats scored five runs in the top of the ninth inning to break open a tie game and beat the Joliet JackHammers 10-5 Friday night at Silver Cross Field, snapping a four-game losing streak.

Steve Haake started the ninth by drawing his Northern League-leading 41st walk of the season, and things went downhill from there for Joliet reliever Dan Ziegler (0-3). Jay Pecci came up next and showed bunt, pulling in third baseman Mike Caruso, before pulling the bunt back and smacking a double down the left field line to move Haake to third. Tanner Townsend was intentionally walked next to load the bases.

Cristian Guerrero collected the first of the RBI hits in the inning, singling through the middle of a drawn in infield to score Haake and Pecci. Eric Blakeley came next and tripled to the gap in right-center past a diving Wally Backman, Jr., making the score 9-5. Two batters later, Anthony Esquer lifted a sacrifice fly to plate Blakeley and round out the scoring.

The RailCats only found the game tied in the ninth because they were able to dig out of a 4-0 hole after one inning. The JackHammers rattled off six straight baserunners with one out in the first against Garret Holleran, with Joey Gomes' two-run single the big blow. But Holleran was efficient over the next four innings, allowing four hits but keeping Joliet off the board to allow the RailCats time to come back.

The comeback started in the second when Rob Marconi delivered a two-out single to plate Blakeley from third. The RailCats got two runs closer in the fifth off starter Carlos Castillo, with John McCarthy singling home Marconi and Pecci doubling in another run.

The RailCats took their first lead of the night in the seventh against David Moraga, Thursday's JackHammers starter. Moraga retired the leadoff man but then issued back-to-back doubles to Haake and Pecci to tie the score, and Townsend singled home Pecci to give the RailCats the lead.

Joliet re-tied the game in the bottom of the eighth when Gomes homered off Brian Halford. Halford was the only one of four RailCats relievers to allow a run, although he did pitch a 1-2-3 seventh. Kyle Kobernus, Brandon Higelin (2-1) - who earned the win - and Nate Hoelscher each tossed a scoreless frame.

Pecci went 4-for-5 for his first four-hit game of the season, doubling three times and driving in two. Marconi had three hits and Haake, Guerrero and Blakeley each had two as all nine RailCats tallied at least one base hit. The RailCats finished with 17 hits in the game, matching their highest output of the month.

The RailCats (28-28) snapped a seven-game road losing streak with the win and leaped over Joliet into fourth place in the Northern League standings. The RailCats and JackHammers (27-28) will resume their three-game series Saturday at 7:05 p.m. at Silver Cross Field with Joliet's Nate Sevier (3-3, 4.08 ERA) taking on Drew Dickinson (3-4, 5.37). That game, as always, will be broadcast live on WEFM, 95.9 FM, and online at www.sportsjuice.com .

NOTES: Before the start of Friday's game, the RailCats placed second baseman Eric McNamee on the disabled list, retroactive to July 17 with a left hand bruise. McNamee was hit by a pitch Wednesday night by Fargo-Moorhead's Brett Lawson and was removed from the game. The RailCats activated catcher Anthony Esquer to take McNamee's spot on the roster, and Esquer started Friday's game, going 1-for-4.

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Northern League Stories from July 18, 2008


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