Cogan Sharp as 'Cats Win Second Straight, 5-3 Over Joliet
June 27, 2009 - Northern League (NL)
Gary SouthShore Railcats News Release
GARY, Ind. - Tony Cogan carried a shutout into the ninth inning and the Gary SouthShore RailCats scored single runs in five different innings to beat the Joliet JackHammers 5-3 Saturday night in front of 3,916 at U. S. Steel Yard.
Cogan (3-5) narrowly missed tossing just the second complete game - and first shutout - of his nine-year professional career. The 32-year-old gave up singles to the first two hitters in the ninth before being relieved, with those runs eventually coming around to score. The veteran lefty allowed only seven hits in 8.0 innings, walking two and striking out three. Cogan's did not allow a runner to reach third base until the ninth and was helped by a defense that turned two double plays and threw out a pair of runners trying to steal. Saturday's start came on the heels of the worst outing of Cogan's professional career Tuesday when he surrendered 11 runs on 14 hits in 5.2 innings at Fargo.
23-year-old rookie Jason Novak (1-2) dueled right with Cogan through the first two innings before Rob Marconi tagged his second home run of the season with one out in the third. The âCats manufactured a run in the fourth when Steve Haake doubled, moved up on a bunt and scored on Cristian Guerrero's sacrifice fly, and then got an unearned run in the fifth. Marconi narrowly missed his second home run in the seventh, settling for a double off Chris Paul with two outs and scoring on a Mike Massaro single, and Haake drove home his 34th run of the year in the eighth to complete the scoring.
Novak allowed only three hits in 5.0 innings, but did walk three against only one strikeout. The RailCats stranded just three runners on base during Novak's five innings of work.
Aaron Cook got into trouble in the ninth, surrendering singles to three of the five men he faced to force Andy Shipman into the game with two outs and the tying runs on base. Shipman got Wally Backman, Jr. to ground back to the mound to end the ninth, earning his seventh save of the year.
The RailCats (19-21) and JackHammers (15-25) conclude their three-game series Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. at U. S. Steel Yard. The teams will be paying tribute to Chicago's Crosstown Classic series by wearing replica White Sox & Cubs uniforms which will be auctioned off during the game, with proceeds benefitting the Reilly C. Bush Foundation. It's also another The Times Family Sunday, with a discount coupon available in Sunday editions of The Times.
The RailCats will send Onan Masaoka (1-4, 5.89 ERA) out to make his tenth start Sunday afternoon, while Joliet has not yet announced a starter. The game will be broadcast live on 89.1 FM, The Lakeshore, and online at www.railcatsbaseball.com.
Northern League Stories from June 27, 2009
- T-Bones Win Rain-Shortened Contest, 8-6 - Kansas City Monarchs
- Flyers drop rain-shortened contest - Schaumburg Flyers
- Cogan Sharp as 'Cats Win Second Straight, 5-3 Over Joliet - Gary SouthShore Railcats
- RailCats hold off JackHammers - Joliet JackHammers
- Goldeyes Release Layden - Winnipeg Goldeyes
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
