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AA Gary SouthShore Railcats

RailCats Open Post Break with 6-3 Win Behind Hopkins

July 31, 2014 - American Association (AA)
Gary SouthShore Railcats News Release


GARY, IN - The American Association All-Star break might have been the best thing to happen to the Gary South Shore RailCats. With the first of eight straight games against the teams chasing them in the Central division the RailCats came out rested following the two off days and out of the gate running in a 6-3 win over Kansas City. For the second time in the last two weeks Kagen Hopkins made a spot start for the South Shore tossing 5.1 strong innings in the win to send his record to 4-2.

The RailCats took the lead in the first off of starter Casey Barnes (2-2) with Danny Pulfer walking to start the inning followed by a Drew Martinez double. Josh Romanski brought home the first run with a ground ball on the right side of the infield to make it 1-0 Gary. Ryan Babineau then would single back up the middle to make it 2-0.

There was a scary moment in the second and a de-ja-vu for Drew Muren who was struck by a Barnes fastball on the back of the knee. Muren would finish the game for RailCats. In the fourth Derek Smith delivered and RBI double to score Wally Backman who singled off of Barnes earlier in the frame to make it 3-0 South Shore.

Hopkins did not allow a hit until a one out single by Bryan Sabatella in the top of the 5th. Sabetella stole second and third and came home on a sac fly from Nick Schwaner and it was 3-1 RailCats. Hopkins would the strike out Brian Erie looking one of six strike outs on the night to end the inning. The RailCats staff would strike out 12 Kansas City batters with Ethan Gibbons and Ian Kadish each with two and James Parr adding another three.

In the seventh the T-Bones added another run off of Ethan Gibbons on a triple from Bryan Sabatella who came home on an RBI fielder's choice from Nick Schwaner to cut the lead to 3-2. But in the bottom of the inning Kansas City Manager John Massarelli decided to walk Danny Pulfer to get to Drew Martinez the player with the most hits in the American Association with Ryan Brockett at second. Martinez then drove in Brockett to buy a big insurance run at 4-2 over the head of short stop Vladimir Frias. Then Frias would be the culprit of a throwing error on a Ryan Babineau ground ball to short that landed in row one scoring both Pulfer and Martinez and it was 6-2.

The T-Bones picked up another run in the eighth off of Ian Kadish on a one out RBI triple from Danny Rickar but James Parr came in to strike out Ray Sadler to end the inning. Parr worked a 1-2-3 ninth to close the door and earn his sixth save.

The two teams will play game two of the four game series Thursday night at US Steel Yard with RHP Stephen Hiscock (8-4, 4.13) going for the RailCats while Kansas City with send RHP Kyle DeVore (3-4, 4.20) to the hill. The game can be heard on WEFM and seen online at RAILCATSBASEBALL.COM at 7:10pm.

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