NL Gary SouthShore Railcats

RailCats Erupt, Rout Schaumburg 15-4 to Complete Sweep

Published on August 28, 2008 under Northern League (NL)
Gary SouthShore Railcats News Release


GARY, Ind. - Eric Blakeley went 5-for-6, finishing a double away from the cycle and leading the Gary SouthShore RailCats to a resounding 15-4 win over the Schaumburg Flyers Thursday night in front of 5,264 fans at U. S. Steel Yard. Earlier in the day, with a Winnipeg loss to Fargo-Moorhead, the RailCats clinched the second seed in the Northern League playoffs.

The RailCats begin defense of their Northern League title next Tuesday and Wednesday at U. S. Steel Yard against the Goldeyes. Games one and two will both begin at 7 p.m., with tickets available now at the U. S. Steel Yard Ticket Office, by calling (219) 882-2255 or by visiting www.railcatsbaseball.com . If necessary, the RailCats will also host game five next Sunday night at 6 p.m.

Thursday, the RailCats won for the fifth game in a row and closed out their regular season slate at home with a three-game sweep of the Flyers. The RailCats missed team records in runs and hits by one, scoring 15 times on 20 hits, putting up 14 of those runs in the first five innings. On Fan Appreciation Night, the sixth-largest crowd of the year watched the RailCats launch two home runs in the first two innings and build a 7-0 advantage before the start of the third.

Justin Jordan (2-1) had been Schaumburg's best pitcher before Thursday, holding opposing teams to only nine earned runs in his first six starts. Thursday, the RailCats tagged Jordan for 10 runs (nine earned) on 11 hits in only 3.1 innings, drawing three walks and striking out just one.

In the first inning, Jordan walked Marconi to lead things off, and the speedy RailCats centerfielder stole second and went to third on a wild pitch by catcher Hank Lanto. Eric McNamee drove Marconi in with a sacrifice fly, and from there the rout was on. Blakeley followed McNamee with his sixth home run of the season, and Steve Haake and Mike Rohde had RBIs later in the inning.

Marconi led off a three-run second with his seventh home run of the year, and Tanner Townsend and Cristian Guerrero picked up RBIs in that frame. The RailCats would score two more in the third and fourth, three runs in the fifth and a single run in the sixth. Joe Panozzo replaced Jordan in the fourth and allowed five earned runs on eight hits in 3.2 innings.

Blakeley's five-hit game was the seventh all-time by a RailCats hitter and the second this season (Guerrero did so on June 29 at Schaumburg). Blakeley also had four RBIs and finished with three singles, his first inning homer and a sixth-inning triple. Eight RailCats had two hits in the game and all nine RailCats starters scored runs.

Mike Reese went 2-for-4 to extend his hitting streak to 19 games, matching a RailCats franchise record set in 2003 by Wes Chamberlain. Reese got his first hit in the third inning and went on to double in the eighth. Rohde and Haake each had three RBIs, with each man doubling once and Haake finishing with three hits. The RailCats reached 20 hits for the third time this season and first time since July 31 at Winnipeg.

Brian Forystek (6-6) started on the mound and was excellent in his final start before the postseason, going 5.0 innings and allowing two hits and no runs. Forystek walked two but struck out four, and was relieved after throwing only 81 pitches with the RailCats comfortably ahead.

The RailCats (53-40) close out the regular season with three games this weekend at Schaumburg (30-63) against a Flyers team that has lost 11 straight. Schaumburg will send right-hander Lonnie Patterson (1-3, 9.91 ERA) to the mound to start Friday at 6:45 p.m. against RailCats left-hander Jeremy Plexico (10-3, 2.64). That game will be broadcast live on WEFM, 95.9 FM, and online at www.railcatsbaseball.com .

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Northern League Stories from August 28, 2008


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