(Gary, IN) The Gary SouthShore RailCats arrived at Haymarket Park for a doubleheader against the Lincoln Saltdogs after just seeing them back at the Steel Yard where the Saltdogs took the final two games to take the series. Both games were seven-innings and game one featured RHP Dominic Cancellieri going for the ‘Cats and Graham Edwards pitching for Lincoln.
Korry Howell, returning from a wrist injury, got a hanging breaking ball and bashed it deep into left for his eighth home run of the season. The Saltdogs responded with two home runs in the bottom of the inning from Jale Hjelle and Cary Arbolida. Lincoln led 3-1. The ‘Cats made it 3-2 when Kevin Watson scored Olivier Basabe on a sacrifice fly.
Hjelle picked up third RBI on a single muscled into right field and it was 4-2. The ‘Cats tied the game in the top of the fourth, Nick Podkul with an RBI on a single into center and Jake Guenther evened it on a sacrifice fly to center. After four innings the game was tied 4-4.
In the bottom of the fifth Nick Shumpert lifted a pitch that was up and away and got it to land over the fence to make it 6-4. The RailCats scored in the top of the seventh with a single down the line by Marc Flores and could not score the tying-run and the ‘Cats dropped game one 6-5.
At 8:19 the two teams retook the field with the Saltdogs elected to start Harold Cortijo and RailCats Manager Jeff Isom brought in Frank Plesac to start the second game. The Saltdogs scored the first run after an error was made at first, Calyn Halvorson doubled down the line to bring around Connor Bagnieski.
In the top of the third, the RailCats strung together some hits to score some runs, Elvis Peralta scoring Watson and Summerhill scored in Howell on a single to center. On a double steal attempt Jacob Morrow throws down to second to try and nab Summerhill, but Peralta took off and stole home to move the score to 3-1.
In the top of the fifth, Summerhill drove in his second run on a sacrifice fly to center field. In the top of the sixth, Nick Podkul hit his tenth home run of the season that scored two and the RailCats led 6-1.
Frank Plesac would go all seven innings and finish his first ever complete game of his career. Giving up one unearned run on five hits and struck out three. The RailCats record goes to 22-25 and split the doubleheader with the Saltdogs. The two teams will meet again tomorrow at 6:35. Where LHP Dawson Lane will make the start, RHP Cael Chatham will go for Lincoln.