RailCats 4, Windy City 4, Final

May 13, 2007

Gary, Ind.—The Gary SouthShore RailCats and Windy City Thunderbolts played to a 4-4 tie in pre-season baseball action on Sunday afternoon at U. S. Steel Yard in Gary. The tie runs the RailCats pre-season record to 1-3-1 with two spring training games to play before Thursday night's Northern League regular season opener.

The RailCats were limited to just three hits and had to battle back from a 4-2 deficit, scoring single runs in the sixth and eighth innings to force the tie. Gary jumped ahead 2-0 in the first when David Detienne led off with a walk and went to third on Jay Pecci's single to right. Jermaine Allensworth's sacrifice fly brought in Detienne and Steve Haake followed with a sacrifice fly to bring in Pecci and make it 2-0.

Windy City scored twice in the third off RailCats starter Willie Glen as former RailCat Mike Coles delivered an RBI double and Wes Long followed with a sacrifice fly to tie the game. In the fourth, Windy City took advantage of two RailCats errors to score two unearned runs and jump ahead 4-2. Scott Billak's two-run single with the bases loaded provided the runs.

Detienne led off the Gary sixth inning with a triple to center and scored on Steve Georgion's ground out to second base to make it 4-3. Then in the eighth, the RailCats loaded the bases with one out on a walk, a hit batsman, and an infield single by Dale Mueller. Georgion again delivered an RBI ground out to tie the game.

Glen went the first four innings for the RailCats, allowing six hits and four runs (two earned) with two walks and four strikeouts. Jared Brown tossed two scoreless innings in relief of Glen and David Byard pitched one scoreless frame. Tony Cogan worked the last two innings for the RailCats and allowed four hits but got a double play ball to end the eighth and escaped a bases loaded, two-out jam in the ninth on a leaping catch by second baseman Toshi Sasa to end the threat.

The RailCats play Rockford at 11:30 a.m. at U. S. Steel Yard on Monday and then wrap up the spring schedule against Joliet at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

Notes: Infielder Eric Blakeley suffered what is believed to be a broken thumb on Saturday afternoon and will not start the season with the club…Second baseman Eric McNamee has a minor leg injury and was the only other position player who did not see action on Sunday…Josh Habel will start on the mound for the RailCats on Monday.

Game Log:

Top first: Willie Glen allowed a two-out single, the first hit he has allowed this spring, but stranded the runner at first. He notched two strikeouts in the inning.

Bottom first: Detienne walked. Pecci singled to right. Detienne went to third. Pecci went to second on the throw. Allensworth and Haake each delivered sacrifice flies to bring in the two runners. Yepez lined out to short. 2 Runs, 1 Hit, 0 LOB.

Top second: Glen allowed a lead off walk and a solid single to start the inning, but then got a 6-4-3 double play as Detienne made a nice play at first to grab a bouncing throw from second baseman Mike Reese. The next batter lined out to third to end the frame.

Bottom second: Townsend grounded to short. Caston struck out. Reese grounded to short.

Top third: Glen endured a rough inning. He allowed back-to-back singles before Mike Coles drilled a double to left to bring in a run. Wes Long's sacrifice fly brought in the tying run. Glen got a big strikeout with Coles at third and one out and after a hit batsman, he got a ground out to end the frame.

Bottom third: Mueller flied to right. Detienne flied to center. Pecci grounded to the pitcher on a check swing.

Top fourth: Glen became the first RailCats pitcher to work four innings. Glen allowed two runs in the inning, both unearned, after Windy City began their rally with back to back errors on Pecci and Townsend. Scott Billak had a two-runs single.

Bottom fourth: Allensworth struck out. Haake grounded to second. Yepez walked. Townsend grounded to short.

Top fifth. Jared Brown now pitching for Gary. Steve Ketter now catching. Brown walked the lead-off man before getting a double play on a nice diving stop by second baseman Mike Reese. A fly to right ended the frame.

Bottom fifth: Caston lined out to second. Reese grounded to third. Mueller flied out to left.

Top sixth: Brown retired the first two batters before giving up a walk and a single, but he got a strikeout to end the threat.

Bottom sixth: Detienne led off with a triple over the head of the center fielder. Georgion grounded to second to bring in the run. Pecci struck out. Allensworth grounded to short. 1 Run, 1 Hit, 0 LOB.

Top seventh: David Byard now pitching. Wallace catching. Price in left. Sasa at second. Hudson at short. Byard allowed a one-out infield hit but retired the side with no other problems.

Bottom seventh: Price grounded to second. Haake flied to left. Ketter grounded to third.

Top eighth: Tony Cogan now pitching for Gary. He allowed two singles with one out but got a double play ball to end the inning.

Bottom eighth: Townsend flied to left. Wallace walked. Sasa hit by pitch. Mueller safe on infield hit to load the bases. Georgeon grounded to second as Wallace scored. Hudson struck out. 1 Run, 1 Hit, 2 LOB.

Top ninth: Cogan got the first two hitters before allowing a hit and then hitting a batter and allowing an infield hit. Then Toshi Sasa made a great leaping catch at second base to retire the side.

Bottom ninth: Price struck out. Haake flied to left. Ketter reached on throwing error by the shortstop. Townsend grounded to short.

The game ends in a tie.

Today's RailCats Lineup:

Player, Pos. AB R H RBI

David Detienne, 1b-dh 2 2 1 0

Steve Georgion, 1b 2 0 0 2

Jay Pecci, ss 3 0 1 0

Steve Hudson, ss 1 0 0 0

Jermaine Allensworth, lf 2 0 0 1

Nate Price, lf 2 0 0 0

Steve Haake, rf 3 0 0 1

Jose Yepez, c 1 0 0 0

Steve Ketter, c-dh 2 0 0 0

Tanner Townsend, 3b 4 0 0 0

Bernard Caston, dh 2 0 0 0

Brett Wallace, c 0 1 0 0

Mike Reese, 2b 2 0 0 0

Toshi Sasa, 2b 0 0 0 0

Dale Mueller, cf 3 0 1 0

DNP: Eric McNamee

3B: Detienne. SF: Allensworth, Haake.

Pitcher IP H R ER BB SO

Willie Glen 4.0 6 4 2 2 4

Jared Brown 2.0 1 0 0 2 2

David Byard 1.0 1 0 0 0 1

Tony Cogan 2.0 4 0 0 0 2

HB: Glen, Cogan.