GARY SOUTHSHORE RAILCATS MEDIA RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 18, 2023
Contact: Zach Letson
Phone: 219-882-2255
Email: [email protected]
Timely Hitting, Dominant Pitching Help RailCats Down DockHounds
Gary, IN — Six consecutive runs from the sixth inning onward gave the Gary SouthShore RailCats (15-20) the boost they needed in a commanding 7-2 win over the Lake Country DockHounds (14-19) on Father’s Day at The Steel Yard.
John Sheaks got the start for the RailCats and tossed a gem in the longest outinf of any Gary SouthShore pitcher this season. The right-hander threw seven innings of one-run ball, permitting just five hits without surrendering a walk. Sheaks also struck out a season-high eight batters, including five straight between the sixth and seventh innings.
Offensively, Gary SouthShore wasted no time putting a run on the board. Gio Díaz led off the bottom of the first with a single, and after stealing second base, Jesus Marriaga brought him home with a single of his own, supplying an early 1-0 lead.
However, the DockHounds quickly responded. An Aaron Simmons RBI double promptly knotted up the score at one run apiece in their next turn at bat.
The score held firm until the sixth inning when the RailCats manufactured another tally. Francisco Del Valle and Marriaga led off the frame with back-to-back singles. After a double play, LG Castillo hit a ground ball to shortstop Demetrius Sims, and an errant throw allowed Del Valle to score. The RailCats went back in front, 2-1 after six, restoring an advantage that they would not surrender.
Gary SouthShore brought home three more runs just one inning later in the bottom of the seventh. Daniel Lingua reached on a fielder’s choice and scored soon after on Díaz’s second hit of the day. After Del Valle walked and Marriaga was hit by a pitch, Jackson Valera uncorked a two-run single to center field, doubling Gary SouthShore’s lead to four at 5-1.
Walks from Victor Nova, Lingua, and Díaz loaded the bases in the eighth inning, setting the stage for Del Valle to come through. A two-out, two-run bases-loaded single helped balloon the RailCat edge to 7-1 heading into the ninth.
The DockHounds scored once in the ninth, but Matt Leon shut it down from there, closing out a 7-2 Gary SouthShore victory.
The ‘Cats have a day off tomorrow before heading back to the diamond on Tuesday at 7:02 p.m. as they take on the defending Miles Wolff Cup Champion Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks at Newman Outdoor Field. All the action will be streamed on aabaseball.tv and broadcast over the radio on 95.9 WEFM and the Gary SouthShore RailCats Broadcast Network via the Mixlr app.
###