NL Gary SouthShore Railcats

RailCats Open Second Half With 15-Inning Win in Winnipeg

Published on July 11, 2009 under Northern League (NL)
Gary SouthShore Railcats News Release


WINNIPEG, Manitoba - Jordan Czarniecki broke a seven inning deadlock with a run scoring double in the top of the 15th inning as the Gary SouthShore RailCats started the second half of the 2009 season with a marathon 5-3, 15 inning win over the Winnipeg Goldeyes at Canwest Park Friday night.

Steve Haake led off the top of the 15th inning with a walk, despite first falling behind in the count 0-2. Two pitches later, with Haake in motion, Czarniecki blasted a line drive over the head of Cory Patton in center and off the wall, easily scoring Haake from first. Czarniecki himself would come in to score later in the inning when Brett Wallace came through with a two-out single to provide the final margin and make a loser of Chris Homer (0-1).

Garret Holleran came on in the bottom of the 15th to record his first professional save, pitching around a leadoff double and ending the longest RailCats game since 2007 when Dee Brown flied out. Holleran capped a superb extra inning effort from the RailCats bullpen, with his scoreless frame following two shutout innings each from Andy Shipman, Eddie De la Cruz and winning pitcher Clint Goocher (1-0).

The RailCats bullpen did not get off to a good start Friday, surrendering the tying two runs in the eighth inning after an excellent start from Tony Cogan. Cogan gave up only one run - on a Juan Diaz fourth inning homer - on just three hits in seven innings, walking two and striking out six. The left-hander retired seven in a row to start the game, and then squeezed his way around a leadoff triple in the sixth by striking out Kevin West and Cody Ehlers.

Winnipeg starter Andrew Cruse was also strong Friday, giving up a run on five hits in six innings. The RailCats tied the game in the top of the sixth when Eric McNamee doubled in a run and got two in the seventh on a Rob Marconi sacrifice fly and well executed Mike Massaro squeeze bunt.

The two teams combined to use 15 pitchers and 22 position players, collecting a combined 24 hits and leaving 26 runners on base. The game was the second-longest in RailCats history, behind only a 6-4 win August 31 in Kansas City that lasted 16 innings. Homer - the losing pitcher - was one of two Winnipeg relievers to throw three innings and had thrown two scoreless frames before the 15th.

Marconi somehow managed to finish the game a perfect 3-for-3, singling three times, walking twice and recording both a sacrifice bunt and sacrifice fly. Jay Pecci also had three hits for the RailCats, while Czarniecki and Wallace - who did not start the game - each had two.

West led Winnipeg offensively with a 3-for-7 game, but Diaz (2-for-3) was the only other Goldeyes player with more than one hit.

The RailCats (25-23) and Goldeyes (28-16) continue their series Saturday night at 6 p.m. with Chris Jones (1-1, 3.00 ERA) taking the ball for the 'Cats against Winnipeg right-hander Ace Walker (5-1, 1.78 ERA). That game will be broadcast live on 89.1 FM, The Lakeshore, and online at www.railcatsbaseball.com.

Notes: The RailCats have now won three straight against league-leading Winnipeg and closed to within 5.0 games of the league lead, the closest they've been since June 6 ... each of the last four RailCats wins have come in their last at bat ... the RailCats won in Winnipeg for the first time since May 25, snapping a six-game losing streak ... since that time, the RailCats had lost 12 straight games in either Winnipeg of Fargo, N.D. ... Onan Masaoka made his first relief appearance of the year for the 'Cats, walking Brent Metheny in the eighth ... the game lasted 5:13 minutes and ended at 12:18 a.m. on Saturday.

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Northern League Stories from July 11, 2009


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