FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 26, 2019
CONTACT: Jared Shlensky
[email protected]
GARY, IND. — Seven innings of two-run ball from Christian DeLeon and seven unanswered runs led the Gary SouthShore RailCats to a 7-2 victory and their second straight series win in front of a season-high 4,028 fans on Sunday night at U.S. Steel Yard. Gary scored 14 runs in the three-game series vs. the Sioux Falls Canaries, 12 of which came with two outs, including five in the rubber game.
DeLeon (1-2) recorded his first American Association win with his first quality start of the year. The right-hander yielded just five hits, walked one, struck out a pair and retired 19 of the last 22 hitters he faced, including the final eight.
Sioux Falls (5-5) jumped in front 2-0 with their only two runs of the night in the top of the first. Brett Vertigan drew a five-pitch walk to begin the game before coming around to score on a Mitch Glasser RBI double off the top of the left field wall. Former Chicago White Sox catcher Adrian Nieto followed Glasser with an RBI double of his own for the Canaries final run of the evening.
Gary (5-4) tied the game at 2-2 with their first two runs in the third. Evan Marzilli and Zach Welz led off the frame with back-to-back singles, giving the ‘Cats runners on first and second. Tom Walraven then advanced both baserunners 90 feet with a sacrifice bunt. Two batters later, Marcus Mooney plated both Marzilli and Welz with a two-out, two-run single through the left side of the infield.
The ‘Cats took their first lead of the game with a run in the fourth. John Price Jr. singled with one out before Wilfredo Gimenez singled to left, giving Gary runners on the corners. Two hitters later, Welz put Gary in front 3-2 with a two-out RBI infield single to the left side of the infield.
Gary increased their lead to three with two more runs in the fifth. Mooney led off the frame with an infield single before Randy Santiesteban reached on a fielder’s choice. Willis then singled to right, giving the ‘Cats runners on the corners before Price Jr. doubled home Santiesteban with a double to left-center. Gimenez then made it 5-2 with a sacrifice fly to left on a 3-0 pitch, scoring Willis from third for the final run of the frame.
The RailCats took their biggest lead of the series at five with two more two-out runs in the sixth. Walraven singled with one out before moving up to second on a sacrifice bunt from Andy De Jesus. Mooney was then hit before Santiesteban walked, loading the bases for Willis. Willis then delivered the final runs of the series with a two-run single to right.
Jumpei Akanuma and Felix Carvallo preserved the lead and the win and secured the series with a scoreless inning each. Akanuma tossed a scoreless top of the eighth in his first appearance of the series while Carvallo worked a scoreless top of the ninth to end the game.
Alex Boshers (1-1) was charged with the loss for Sioux Falls. The right-hander allowed five runs on nine hits and a walk while striking out there over five innings.
Gary is idle on Monday before beginning a six-game road trip on Tuesday in Canada against the Winnipeg Goldeyes at 7 p.m. Trevor Lubking (2-0, 0.82) makes his third start in the series opener for the RailCats while the Goldeyes have yet to announce their starter.
Gary returns home to U.S. Steel Yard on Monday, June 3rd for the first of four games vs. the Chicago Dogs. Monday’s game is the first Metro Monday and Meaty Monday of the season. Visit any Northwest Indiana Metro by T-Mobile location for complimentary tickets and enjoy our delicious hamburgers for just $2. Monday’s series opener is also Munster and Dyer Community Night, presented by Fifth Third Bank.
–RAILCATS–