Joliet 8, RailCats 4, Final-7

May 15, 2007

Gary, Ind.—The Joliet JackHammers scored four runs in the fifth inning to break a 3-3 as they defeated the Gary SouthShore RailCats 8-4 in a game shortened to seven innings by rain on Tuesday afternoon. The RailCats completed their seven game pre-season schedule with a record of 1-4-2. They will host Winnipeg in the season opener Thursday at 7:00 p.m. at U. S. Steel Yard.

Nate Price, Steve Haake, and David Detienne supplied most of the offense for the RailCats on Tuesday. Price went 2 for 2 with a triple and two runs batted in. Haake had an RBI double and two walks and Detienne had two singles and a stolen base.

On the mound, Travis Kerber made his only appearance of the spring as the RailCats starting pitcher, going three innings and allowing six hits and three runs. Chad Ehrnsberger and Juan Diaz each hit home runs for Joliet.

RailCats game log:

Top first: Travis Kerber allowed three hits and two runs in the first inning, a shaky defensive frame for the RailCats.

Bottom first: Detienne had an infield single. Yepez grounded into a fielder's choice to third. Allensworth flied to center. Haake walked. Townsend reached on an error by the third baseman. Price singled up the middle to drive in Yepez and Haake. Georgion grounded out to second.

Top second: Kerber allowed a two-out walk in an otherwise perfect inning.

Bottom second: Mueller flied to right. Hudson flied to right. Detienne hustled out an infield hit on a grounder to short. Yepez walked. Allensworth grounded to short.

Top third: Ehrnsberger hit a mammoth home run to left over the screen. Kerber allowed a pair of two-out singles but avoided further trouble.

Bottom third: Haake walked but was picked off first by the pitcher. Townsend flied to center. Price walked. Georgion walked. Mueller hit a ground ball that hit Georgion to end the inning. Mueller gets credit for a base hit.

Top fourth: Steve Edsall now pitching for Gary. Edsall pitched a perfect inning.

Bottom fourth: Hudson grounded to second. Detienne grounded to second. Yepez blooped a single to right. Allensworth looped a single to left. Haake drilled a double to right to drive in Yepez. Townsend lined out to right.

Top fifth: Jim Paduch now pitching for Gary. Joliet collected five hits and four runs in the inning. Tim Hutting had an RBI double with two-out on a hard grounder just fair past first down the line.

Bottom fifth: McNamee grounded to short. Price ripped a triple to left-center. Georgion grounded out to first, Price scored. Mueller struck out.

Top sixth: Jared Brown now pitching for Gary. Brown had a quick 1-2-3 inning.

Bottom sixth: Hudson grounded to short. Detienne struck out. Ketter singled to center. Allensworth struck out.

Top seventh: Matt Petrusek pitching for Gary. The first batter of the inning, Juan Diaz, blasted a titanic home run off the video board in left. Petrusek notched two strikeouts in the inning and one more hit, a single, but no more runs.

Bottom seventh: Mick Curren lined out to second. Townsend had an infield hit to third. The game was called due to lightning and impending rain.

Today's RailCats Starting Lineup:

Player, Pos. AB R H RBI

David Detienne, 2b-1b 3 0 2 0

Jose Yepez, c 2 1 1 0

Steve Ketter, c 1 0 1 0

Jermaine Allensworth, lf 4 0 1 0

Steve Haake, rf 1 1 1 1

Mick Currin, 3b 1 0 0 0

Tanner Townsend, 3b-ss 4 0 1 0

Eric McNamee, dh 1 0 0 0

Nate Price, dh-rf 2 0 2 2

Steve Georgion, 1b 2 0 0 1

Dale Mueller, cf 3 0 1 0

Steve Hudson, ss-2b 3 0 0 0

Mike Reese

Brett Wallace

Jay Pecci

2B: Haake. 3B: Price.

Pitcher IP H R ER BB SO

Travis Kerber 3.0 6 3 3 1 1

Steve Edsall 1.0 0 0 0 0 0

Jim Paduch 1.0 5 4 4 0 0

Jared Brown 1.0 0 0 0 0 1

Matt Petrusek 1.0 2 1 1 0 2

WP: Kerber.