RailCats Down JackHammers 5-4, Sweep Three-Game Series
Published on June 28, 2009 under Northern League (NL)
Gary SouthShore Railcats News Release
GARY, Ind. - The Gary SouthShore RailCats scored twice in the bottom of the eighth inning and held on to beat the Joliet JackHammers 5-4 Sunday afternoon at U. S. Steel Yard, sweeping the three-game series from their Chicagoland rivals.
The RailCats pulled out the back-and-forth win in an unusual eighth that started harmlessly enough with Chris Carrara grounding out. Jay Pecci followed Carrara and fell behind in the count before fouling a 1-2 pitch off home plate umpire Bill Lopina's left collarbone. Lopina had to be helped off the field and was replaced behind the plate by first base umpire Harry Fredenburgh, but only after a 21 minute delay.
Joliet stayed with starter Rory Shortell (2-2) after the delay, and Shortell did not record another out, hitting Pecci to bring Steve Haake to the plate. Haake delivered his team-leading 35th RBI of the season with a deep double to the gap in right-center, plating Pecci with the tying run. Shortell remained in the game for one more batter, just long enough for Jordan Czarniecki to shoot a single into center to drive home Haake with the winning run.
The JackHammers had taken a 4-3 lead in the top of the eighth against the RailCats bullpen, with Kevin Rios leading off against Kyle Heyne with a triple, then scoring on a Brad Correll base hit. Four batters later, Joliet took the lead when Freddie Thon hit a swinging bunt chopper just in front of the plate down the first base line that RailCats pitcher Edwin Walker (3-0) fielded cleanly but threw wildly to bring Correll in from third.
Joliet threatened again in the eighth when Rios singled with two outs, drawing Eddie De la Cruz out of the RailCats bullpen. De la Cruz walked Correll but got Phil Avlas to hit into a game-ending fielder's choice at the end of an eight-pitch battle to close out his first Northern League save.
The wild finish overshadowed a good pitcher's duel through the first seven innings, with Shortell allowing just one earned run into the eighth. The Joliet righty did give up a pair of unearned runs, including in the fifth when Mike Massaro tripled off the wall with two outs to score Rob Marconi, and then came in when Wally Backman, Jr. threw wildly from right for an error. That play gave the RailCats a 3-2 lead, their first of the game.
Onan Masaoka went the first seven innings for the RailCats and gave up only six hits and two earned runs in 7.0 innings, matching his longest outing of the year. Joliet scored twice in the second against Masaoka, but the 31-year-old lefty allowed only three baserunners after that and walked just one all day.
The RailCats (20-21) will enjoy an off day Monday before resuming their nine-game homestand Tuesday at 7 p.m. against the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks (19-17). Grant Johnson (2-5, 7.89 ERA) is scheduled to start Tuesday's game for the RailCats against Fargo right-hander Nick Fellman (2-3, 3.29 ERA). That game will be broadcast live on 89.1 FM, The Lakeshore, and online at www.railcatsbaseball.com.
Notes: The three-game sweep was the RailCats seventh of the JackHammers since the start of the 2005 season ... the RailCats have won nine of their last 10 games at home ... the RailCats have won nine of 13 games against the JackHammers this season ... Haake now has driven in at least one run in six of his last seven games ... Walker has not allowed a run in 13 appearances (18.0 innings) against every team in the Northern League except Fargo-Moorhead ... the RedHawks have scored seven runs in 1.1 innings off Walker.
Northern League Stories from June 28, 2009
- Goldeyes Take Game Two - Winnipeg Goldeyes
- RailCats Lefty Edwin Walker Sold to New York Yankees - Gary SouthShore Railcats
- RailCats Down JackHammers 5-4, Sweep Three-Game Series - Gary SouthShore Railcats
- Goldeyes Dropped the Opener of a Double-Header - Winnipeg Goldeyes
- Railcats Rally to Victory - Joliet JackHammers
- Kansas City Finishes Sweep Behind Knippschild Gem - Kansas City Monarchs
- Flyers Swept by T-Bones - Schaumburg Flyers
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