For Immediate Release
August 7, 2021
Hometown Hero Alec Olund Sparks RailCats Past Saltdogs
GARY, Ind. – The Gary SouthShore RailCats (30-44) pushed past the Lincoln Saltdogs (38-34) in the second game of a three game series 4-3 thanks to “The Region ‘Cat” Alec Olund and his high-powered offensive day at the Steel Yard in Gary, Indiana.
The ballgame was silent as both starting pitchers shoved for four scoreless innings each. However, the fireworks came in the fifth. Yanio Perez homered to dead center field in the top of the fourth to give the Saltdogs an early lead.
The Saltdogs’ lead was short lived, as third baseman and Crown Point, Indiana native Alec Olund smashed a towering mammoth blast over the net in left field for a solo shot of his own and his second homer of the season.
Olund would also add the second RailCats run in the sixth by driving in outfielder Billy Cooke on a sacrifice fly to center. Olund finished the day 2-for-2, with a solo home run, two RBI, a run scored and a walk.
The RailCats added two more insurance runs in the seventh, as three consecutive doubles by Cooke, outfielder Jesus Marriaga and first baseman Daniel Lingua plated the third and fourth runs of the day.
Jack Alkire, the RailCats starting pitcher, had sailed smoothly for seven innings but ran into trouble in the eighth, as he surrendered two Saltdog runs to score, making it a 4-3 ballgame.
However, that would be the final mark as relievers Matt Vonderschmidt and Yoel De Leon came on in the eighth and ninth respectively to slam the door shut and ensure the victory.
Alkire received the win for 7.1 innings of work where he allowed three runs and struck out six.
Vonderschmidt and De Leon finished up the game with 1.2 scoreless innings of their own and combined for no hits and three punchouts. Vonderschmidt would receive a hold and De Leon earned the save for their efforts.
Lincoln starter Greg Minier received the loss despite a quality outing consisting of six innings of two run ball.
After splitting the first two, the Gary SouthShore RailCats and Lincoln Saltdogs will play a rubber match tomorrow to decide the series which is scheduled for Sunday, August 8 at 2:10 p.m. at the Steel Yard in Gary, Indiana.
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