For Immediate Release

September 3, 2021

RailCats Hold Off Milkmen with Four-Run Eighth

GARY, Ind.- In the final series opener of the year, a four-run eighth inning lifted the Gary SouthShore RailCats (39-58) over the Milwaukee Milkmen (56-41) with a 10-6 final at the Steel Yard in Gary, Indiana. 

MJ Rookard would clear the bases with his second double of the night as the RailCats found some breathing room with one away in the bottom of the eighth inning. Rookard would later cross the plate for his fourth time tonight to score the tenth run of the game for Gary SouthShore.

With two runs in the second frame on a pair of fielders’ choice plays, the RailCats would take the early lead, but Milwaukee would stumble back into the game with a sac-fly from Logan Trowbridge in the third before Christ Conley drove home the tying run in the fourth inning.

Two frames later, Jackson Smith would drop down a bunt-single, his second hit of the day, to score Rookard who reached on a lead-off double. Brandon Zaragoza then drove home his first of two RBI on the day with a single into left to retake the 4-2 lead. 

While Milwaukee cut the lead to one in the top of the seventh, a Hayden Schilling two-RBI bloop single in the ensuing half inning made the score 6-3.

The Milkmen wouldn’t go down without a fight. Trey Martin would blast his third home run of the season, a two-run shot in the eighth, to slice the deficit back to one, but Rookard was there to put the game away as he drove in three in the bottom of the inning.

Jack Alkire earned the win for the RailCats in his final start of the season as the righty offered a quality start with 6.2 innings, three runs, six hits, three walks, and nine strikeouts.

The loss went to Ryan Kussmaul who dealt 5.1 innings on the omund, allowing four runs on eight hits with three walks and strikeouts.

Game two between the Gary SouthShore RailCats and the Milwaukee Milkmen is scheduled for tomorrow, September 3 at 4:10 p.m. at the Steel Yard in Gary, Indiana.

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