(Gary, IN) The third game of the four-game set between the Gary SouthShore RailCats and Kane County Cougars featured both times coming in having split the first two games with the Cougars winning the Tuesday matchup 7-4 after the RailCats made it a one-run game before a big inning for the Cougars. The RailCats threw Dominic Cancellieri, and the Cougars turned to Ben Kowalski.
The RailCats scored in the first after Korry Howell tripled and two batters later Colin Summerhill hit a sacrifice fly to make it 1-0. The ‘Cats would plate two more in the second on a basehit from Kevin Watson Jr and Nick Podkul touched home after a pitch got away. In the bottom of the fourth the RailCats scored three runs getting RBI hits from Howell, Summerhill and Olivier Basabe to make it 6-0.
The Cougars would crack the board in the fifth on a Sam Dexter solo home run over the left field wall, another run scored in the sixth on an infield single by Nick Dalesandro to make it 6-2. After two outs were recorded in the seventh, Kane County’s offense worked three-straight walks and Claudio Finol singled into left field to score two. Another hit by Alex McGarry cut the RailCats lead to one.
In the eighth, the Cougars led off with a walk and single and a wild pitch would put the tying run on third. Dexter hit a fly ball to left to tie the game and a hit by Zane Spinn gave the Cougars their first lead of the night. With it being 7-6, Watson tripled off the wall and with one out. Art Warren would get a strikeout and a pop out to keep it from being tied.
In the ninth, Dalesandro added an RBI hitting one through the right side to bring in Finol and it was a two-run contest. Summerhill in the bottom of the ninth reached on an error and Basabe doubled for the second time of the night going down the left field line. Once again the RailCats had the tying run in scoring position with one out. Jake Gozzo got a ground ball back to him and a strikeout to end the night and hand the RailCats an 8-6 loss.
Dominic Cancellieri in his first home start as a RailCat went 6.2 innings, giving up four earned runs, walked two and struck out five. The RailCats and the Cougars meet again for the final time of the series with LHP Dawson Lane starting for Gary and the Cougars going to Vin Timpanelli, first pitch is scheduled for 6:45.