GARY SOUTHSHORE RAILCATS MEDIA RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 29, 2022
Contact: Ryan Zimmerman
Phone: 219-882-2255
[email protected]  

RailCats Outduel Railroaders in Friday Night Shootout 

Cleburne, TX – The Gary SouthShore RailCats and Cleburne Railroaders both brought their big bats to The Depot at Cleburne Station, but the visitors possessed more firepower as they pulled out a 10-7 win. 

Though both teams produced double-digit hits, the RailCats made sure theirs counted as they leveled the series at two games apiece. 

Even with all the offense, Gary SouthShore pitching provided the first big moment.  Back-to-back leadoff singles placed Railroaders on first and second in the bottom of the first inning, but RailCats starter John Sheaks stood firm on the mound.  A fielder’s choice and two popouts against the heart of the Cleburne order kept them out of the run column and prevented them from taking the contest’s first lead. 

However, the Railroaders did just that in the bottom of the second.  A sacrifice fly got the first run across, and Cleburne found themselves ahead 1-0. 

In their next turn at-bat in the top of the third, the RailCats made sure Cleburne’s time on top was short-lived.  Sherman Graves led off the inning with a base hit, and after Thomas Greely took his place at first base on a fielder’s choice, Nate Scantlin ripped a ground rule double to right field to put runners on second and third.  Tom Walraven then singled to score them both, turning a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 lead.  The next batter, Daniel Lingua, tripled to cap off the scoring at three runs. 

The RailCats tacked on one more in the top of the fourth to extend their advantage to three.  Graves capitalized on a Victor Nova ground rule double and wild pitch through his run-scoring groundout, propelling Gary SouthShore ahead 4-1. 

After four runs in two innings, Gary SouthShore kept their momentum going as they erupted for five more in the top of the fifth, sending 10 hitters to the plate.  Four RBI hits, including three in a row from Nova, Graves, and LG Castillo, along with a throwing error, helped surge the ‘Cats ahead 9-1. 

Down but not out, the Railroaders matched the five RailCats runs in the bottom of the fifth to pull themselves back into the game.  After making the first out, the next five hitters all recorded hits and scored, cutting their deficit back down to three. 

With the crowd behind them, Cleburne kept the pressure on in the bottom of the sixth.  A single, hit batsman, and walk loaded the bases, but RailCats reliever Josh Vincent made sure all three baserunners ended the inning stranded.  He coaxed a weak groundout to first base to end the inning, maintaining Gary SouthShore’s edge at three. 

The first two due up in the top of the seventh, Nova and Castillo, built upon Vincent’s escape artistry by catapulting the RailCats into double digits in the run column.  Nova walked on five pitches, and Castillo tallied him home all the way from first base on his double, pushing Gary SouthShore in front 10-6. 

The Railroaders did manage a couple of base runners over the next two innings, but Vincent and Augie Voight shut down any potential threats.  A single and an error accounted for the entirety of Cleburne’s offense, helping the ‘Cats take their four-run edge into the ninth inning. 

A one-out solo home run cut the Gary SouthShore lead back down to three, but Yeison Medina rebounded right away to slam the door on Cleburne’s comeback hopes.  He proceeded to retire the next two Railroaders on one pitch each, securing a hard-fought victory. 

The RailCats go back to The Depot at Cleburne Station tomorrow at 7:06 p.m. for their fifth game in their six-game series against the Railroaders.  All the action can be found on aabaseball.tv, 95.9 WEFM, and the Gary SouthShore RailCats Broadcast Network through the Mixlr app. 

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