GARY SOUTHSHORE RAILCATS MEDIA RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 21, 2022
Contact: Tony Pasquesi
Phone: 219-882-2255
[email protected]

Strom’s Strong Outing Not Enough to Stop Saltdogs

Leif Strom’s first career start in a Gary Southshore RailCats uniform was a great one, but even his no-hit effort could not stop the Lincoln Saltdogs from securing a 2-1 win.

The Saltdogs put together timely hits in the game’s final third, scoring runs in both the seventh and ninth innings, to spoil a great day overall for the RailCats pitching staff.

Strom toed the rubber for the second time this season, his first appearance at home, and kept the Saltdogs out of the hit column throughout his 5.1 innings.  The bearded right-hander tossed back-to-back perfect innings to start the game, each with two strikeouts and a soft groundout to Michael Woodworth at second base.

The Gary SouthShore defense helped their starter with two inning-ending double plays, the latter coming with the bases loaded in the fourth inning.

In the fifth inning, the RailCats took the lead as their bats provided their starter with some run support.  Daniel Lingua produced a leadoff single and immediately stole second to put the pressure on the Lincoln defense.  Though it looked like the visitors would escape the inning cleanly after the next two hitters made outs, Michael Cruz came through with a double to center field and gave the ‘Cats a 1-0 advantage.

Adam Heidenfelder entered the game with no one on and one out in the sixth.  Though he induced a grounder from the first batter he faced, he allowed the first Saltdogs hit, a Hunter Clanin single.  However, Jackson Smith continued his strong play behind the plate and caught Clanin attempting to knab second base shortly thereafter, his second runner caught stealing in 2022.

Despite six innings of silence to begin their day, the Lincoln offense came alive in the seventh inning.  Three of the first four hitters reached on base hits, the last of which from Sherman Graves, to tally their first run and tie the score at one.

Both teams exchanged zeroes in the eighth inning, but the Saltdogs struck once again in the ninth.  Eddie Martinez singled and stole second to set Graves up once again, and his two-out double gave his team the run they needed to complete the comeback and put the RailCats away.

These teams play for the final time on the South Shore in 2022 tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. Ryan Zimmerman and Tony Pasquesi have the play-by-play call on aabaseball.tv and the Gary SouthShore RailCats Broadcast Network through the Mixlr app.

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