RailCats Win 5-2, Advance to Fifth Straight Finals
September 6, 2009 - Northern League (NL)
Gary SouthShore Railcats News Release
GARY, Ind. - The Gary SouthShore RailCats advanced to the Northern League Championship Series for the fifth year in a row with a 5-2 win over the Kansas City T-Bones in the fifth game of their semifinal matchup at U. S. Steel Yard, winning the series three games to two.
The top-seeded RailCats will begin the Championship Series on the road at either Fargo-Moorhead or Winnipeg, with those two teams meeting tonight for a decisive fifth game at 7 p.m. in Winnipeg. The âCats will then return home next weekend for games three, four and five on Friday, Saturday and Sunday as they look to win their third league title in the last five years.
Tony Cogan (2-0) carried the RailCats to the Game Five win with one of his best performances in an already outstanding season, holding the T-Bones without a run until the eighth inning and winning for the second time in the series. Cogan did not allow a baserunner until Jeff Helps' infield single in the third, and had allowed only two hits through the first six innings.
Cogan gave up a pair of singles in the seventh and a Greg Jacobs two-run home run in the eighth but finished his night throwing 8.0 innings and giving up two earned runs on six hits with no walks and seven strikeouts. Cogan also worked eight innings in the âCats Game One win, and allowed only five earned runs on 12 hits in 16.0 innings in the series, striking out 12 without allowing a walk.
The RailCats - who had managed only seven hits in the two previous games at U. S. Steel Yard - got their offense in gear right away Sunday against Kansas City's Dustin Bolton (0-1). Mike Massaro and Eric McNamee reached on back-to-back singles to start the first and, with two outs, Cristian Guerrero came up clutch with a two-run double off the base of the wall in left-center.
Guerrero would deliver again in the third after Steve Haake had singled with one out. On a full-count pitch with Haake running, Guerrero dropped a fly ball into right-center that sent Haake all the way around the bases to score. Guerrero would score himself later in the inning on a Jeff Helps error.
The RailCats 4-0 lead held up until Jacobs' home run in the eighth, and the RailCats started to rebuild their lead in the bottom of the inning. Rob Marconi walked to lead off, went to second on a Massaro bunt, took third on a McNamee single and scored when Jay Pecci's fly ball was deep enough in left to push Marconi in ahead of Aharon Eggleston's throw.
Andy Shipman, released by the T-Bones earlier this year, worked a 1-2-3 ninth inning for his third save of the series. Shipman had taken the loss in Saturday's Game Four when he allowed the T-Bones to break a 1-1 tie in the top of the ninth.
The RailCats will host Friday's Game Three of the Northern League Championship Series at 7 p.m. on a night featuring a number of great giveaways. The first 1,500 fans will get free hot dogs, courtesy Aramark, the first 1,000 fans will get a complimentary "Tradition of Excellence" poster, the first 300 kids - age 12 and under - will get a free baseball from Indiana University-Northwest and the game will be followed by a postgame fireworks spectacular, sponsored by First Midwest Bank and the Post-Tribune.
Tickets to Friday's Game Three of the Championship Series are on sale now by calling 219.882.2255 or visiting www.railcatsbaseball.com and will remain on sale all week.
Notes: The RailCats are now 6-0 all-time in Game Five, and have won all six of those decisive games at U. S. Steel Yard ... the RailCats have never lost in the first round of the Northern League Playoffs in their franchise history ... the âCats all-time series record in the postseason is now 7-2 ... Guerrero finished the series with only three hits, but all three drove in runs.
Northern League Stories from September 6, 2009
- Goldeyes Bounced by RedHawks - Winnipeg Goldeyes
- RailCats Win 5-2, Advance to Fifth Straight Finals - Gary SouthShore Railcats
- Cogan Eliminates T-Bones with Eight-Inning Gem - Kansas City Monarchs
- Northern League Names 2009 Rookie Player and Rookie Pitcher of the Year - NL
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