AA Gary SouthShore Railcats

RailCats Slay Railroaders in Series-Opening Epic

Published on July 26, 2023 under American Association (AA)
Gary SouthShore Railcats News Release


Cleburne, TX - The Gary SouthShore RailCats (27-36) and Cleburne Railroaders (32-32) battled each other blow-for-blow down to the final pitch, but the RailCats came up clutch in the game's biggest moments to secure a 10-9 victory in the series opener at La Moderna Field.

The RailCats produced four multi-run frames to stage two separate middle-inning comebacks, and the bullpen stepped up to lock down a red-hot Railroaders lineup time and time again in clutch situations to pick up the thrilling win.

Gary SouthShore got the scoring started right away, striking for two runs in the opening frame. Following a Daniel Lingua leadoff walk, Jackson Valera singled him home two batters later, getting the 'Cats on the board. Francisco Del Valle roped a run-scoring base hit shortly thereafter, moving Gary SouthShore ahead 2-0 through their first trip to the dish.

However, their first lead was short-lived. Cleburne rallied for four runs in the bottom of the inning, turning their two-run deficit into a two-run advantage.

The Railroaders tacked on another run in the bottom of the second to increase their early edge to three, but the RailCats acted quickly to eliminate it in the top of the third. Jesus Marriaga opened the frame by grooving a triple to the right-center field wall, scoring on a wild pitch one pitch later. LG Castillo then delivered a triple to straightaway center field, and after a Del Valle walk, he touched home plate on to a Victor Nova sacrifice fly. Will Decker then singled, and Lingua knotted the score through his second base hit in as many innings, plating Del Valle to even the game at five.

The very next inning, the RailCats powered their way to another lead. Marriaga connected on a leadoff home run that hit the batter's eye in center field, propelling Gary SouthShore to a 6-5 lead.

Once again, though, Cleburne responded by snatching their advantage right back. Two runs in the bottom of the fourth flipped the scoreline, boosting the Railroaders to a one-run edge at 7-6.

Trailing for the second time, the RailCats responded swiftly to overtake the Railroaders for the second straight inning. Nova led off the top of the fifth by clobbering a home run, and as Lingua subsequently recorded his third, Valera grooved a double to bring him home, providing Gary SouthShore with an advantage they would not relinquish.

With the RailCats playing from in front, they turned to the long ball once again to establish a larger cushion. Jose Contreras and Seth Caddell crushed solo shots, giving Gary SouthShore three runs of support.

While the 'Cats created their middle-inning separation, the bullpen emerged to keep Cleburne in check. Oddy Nuñez, Aaron Phillips, and Joan Valdez combined for 3.1 scoreless frames, drawing Gary SouthShore closer to a win.

Nevertheless, the Railroaders refused to go down without a fight. A Mark Karaviotis two-run home run reduced their deficit to one, and though they positioned the tying run in scoring position, Jack Eisenbarger reacted in time to catch Guillermo Quintana attempting to steal third keeping Gary SouthShore in pole position heading into the ninth.

The RailCats went down in order in the top of the inning, but with only one run separating them from the Railroaders, closer DJ Wilkinson did not fret. Though he walked Zach Nehrir with two outs, allowing the winning run to step into the batter's box, he struck Hill Alexander out to finish off an exhilarating victory.

Gary SouthShore and Cleburne square off once again at La Moderna Field tomorrow at 7:06 p.m. as the RailCats look for another win over their East Division rivals. All the action will be streamed on aabaseball.tv as well as broadcast over the radio on 95.9 WEFM and the Gary SouthShore RailCats Broadcast Network via the Mixlr app.

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American Association Stories from July 26, 2023


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