T-Bones Squeak Past RailCats 2-1, Force Game Five Sunday
September 5, 2009 - Northern League (NL)
Gary SouthShore Railcats News Release
GARY, Ind. - Aharon Eggleston drove home Jeff Helps with a two-out single in the top of the ninth inning as the Kansas City T-Bones beat the Gary SouthShore RailCats 2-1 in Game Four of the Northern League Semifinals at U. S. Steel Yard Saturday night.
With the score tied the RailCats turned to Andy Shipman (0-1) in the ninth on the same day the nights-out closer was named the league's Relief Pitcher of the Year. Shipman got the first two outs quickly, but Helps worked a two-out walk and Ryan Fox came up with a big base hit to move Helps to second. That brought Eggleston - himself a Northern League Full Season All-Star - to the plate, and the T-Bones leadoff man delivered a line drive single to right to get Kansas City the lead. Nate Cotton came on in the bottom of the ninth and got the side in order to preserve the win.
In a game that featured two outstanding starting pitching performances, the RailCats took a 1-0 lead to the seventh and brought Grant Johnson out of the bullpen. After getting Craig Hurba to fly out, Neb Brown singled and Jacob Blackwood lined a double into the left field corner to score Brown from first and tie the game at one.
The RailCats had taken the lead in the fifth inning against rookie left-hander Brett Davis, who did not allow a hit through the first four. Davis walked Mike Rohde with one out in the fifth and two batters later Rob Marconi drilled a two-out double to the gap in left-center to score Rohde and get the RailCats on the board. Marconi's double was the first RailCats hit of the night and one of only two the 'Cats would get in the game.
Davis, who made four August starts for Kansas City after pitching this spring at Oklahoma State University, worked into the eighth inning and allowed just the one run on two hits despite walking four. Payton Tweddale (1-0) came on in the eighth and worked out of a mini-jam, earning the win.
Chris Jones made his first start for the RailCats since August 14 and pitched exceptionally well, allowing only three hits and one walk in six shutout innings. Jones struck out five and was rarely challenged, setting down 10 in a row at one point between the first and fourth innings and putting no more than one runner on base in any inning.
The RailCats and T-Bones will meet for a decisive Game Five Sunday at 2 p.m. at U. S. Steel Yard. The pitching matchup will be a rematch of the RailCats 4-3 Game One win, with Tony Cogan (1-0, 3.38 ERA) opposing Dustin Bolton (0-0, 3.68 ERA). The game will be broadcast live on 89.1 FM, The Lakeshore, and online at www.railcatsbaseball.com.
Tickets for Sunday's game are on sale by calling 219.882.2255 or visiting the U. S. Steel Yard Box Office.
Notes: Rohde collected the other RailCats hit, a two-out triple in the seventh. He was left stranded when Jordan Czarniecki's deep drive to center was tracked down by Eggleston ... the RailCats are 5-0 all-time in Game Five ... the RailCats have only 23 hits in the series and are batting .187 as a team ... the run in the ninth was the first allowed by Shipman in three postseason outings this year ... Davis did not face the RailCats during the regular season.
Northern League Stories from September 5, 2009
- T-Bones Force Game Five in 2-1 Thriller - Kansas City Monarchs
- RedHawks Force Game Five - Winnipeg Goldeyes
- T-Bones Squeak Past RailCats 2-1, Force Game Five Sunday - Gary SouthShore Railcats
- Northern League Announces Relief Pitcher of the Year and Top Defensive Player - NL
- RailCats' Shipman named Relief Pitcher of the Year - Gary SouthShore Railcats
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