RailCats 11, Rockford 11, Final

May 14, 2007

Gary, Ind.—The Gary SouthShore RailCats and Rockford RiverHawks played to an 11-11 tie in spring training action on Monday afternoon in a game that featured 30 hits and nine errors between the two teams. The tie pushed the RailCats spring record to 1-3-2. They will host Joliet in the pre-season finale on Tuesday at 2:30 p.m.

The RailCats battled back from a 9-3 deficit after Rockford scored seven runs in the fifth inning. Nate Price, Steve Ketter, and Steve Haake all connected on home runs for Gary as the club scored two in the fifth to make it 9-5 and then added five more in the sixth to jump ahead. Haake's homer was a three-run shot in the sixth that gave the RailCats a 10-9 lead.

Rockford collected 18 hits including at least one in every inning except the ninth. They were led by Joe Anthonsen, who went 3 for 6, and Matt Sauls, who was 3 for 5 with three runs batted in.

The RailCats had 12 hits. Haake and Jay Pecci each had two to lead the way.

Travis Kerber will pitch on Tuesday for the RailCats in the club's final tune-up of the spring. The RailCats open the 2007 Northern League season on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. at U. S. Steel Yard against the Winnipeg Goldeyes. For tickets, call (219) 882-2255 or shop online at www.railcatsbaseball.com.

RailCats Game Log:

Top first: Josh Habel allowed a lead-off single but then got a 6-4-3 double play and a ground out to first to end the frame.

Bottom first: Price popped to second. Pecci flied to left. Allensworth reached on an error (dropped pop-up by the catcher). Haake struck out.

Top second: The lead-off man hit a hard grounder that hit off Sasa and bounced into the seats for a ground rule double. Habel hit the next batter. On an attempted double steal, Wallace, the catcher, made a perfect throw to third that would have gotten the lead runner, but the ball was dropped by Sasa, the third baseman, for an error. The next batter grounded to third and Sasa threw home to get the lead runner. Habel then allowed an RBI double to Matt Sauls. He got a key strikeout for the second out and then a ground out to short to end the inning.

Bottom second: Wallace hit by pitch. Georgion singled off the glove of the first baseman. Reese flied out to center, Wallace advanced to third. Mueller grounded into a fielder's choice as Wallace scored. Georgion safe at second on an error. Sasa grounded into a double play.

Top third: Habel allowed three straight hits with one out as a run scored.

Bottom third: Price led off with a long home run to right. Pecci singled. Allensworth flied out to center. Pecci stole second. Haake reached on a throwing error by the second baseman, Pecci went to third. Wallace lined an infield single off the pitcher, Pecci scored. Georgion grounded into a double play.

Top fourth: Habel gave up a pair of singles and left the game with one out and two men on. Greg Oravetz replaced Habel and retired the next two batters to end the inning.

Bottom fourth: Reese lined to third. Hudson grounded to second. Yepez walked. Sasa walked. Price walked. Pecci popped to short.

Top fifth: Oravetz allowed a lead-off double and walked the next hitter. Jason James then lined an RBI single to right to tie the game. After another single that loaded the bases, Matt Sauls drilled a two-run double to left. A pair of Gary errors (Haake, Sasa) opened the flood gates to a huge inning. Joe Anthonsen added a double. Eleven batters went to the plate. Seven runs scored.

Bottom fifth: Allensworth grounded to second. Haake singled to left. Ketter homered to left. Georgion grounded to short. Reese flied to right.

Top sixth: Steve Obenchain pitching for Gary. Obenchain allowed a pair of singles in the inning but retired the side without allowing a run.

Bottom sixth: Hudson chopped out to the pitcher. Yepez singled hard up the middle. Sasa singled up the middle. Price walked to load the bases. Pecci singled to drive in Yepez. Allensworth singled high off the fence in left center. Sasa scored. Price out at the plate trying to score from second. Haake drilled a three run home run to right center to put the RailCats ahead 10-9. Ketter walked and stole second. Georgion struck out.

Top seventh: Obenchained allowed a lead-off single followed by a walk. He retired the next two hitters before allowing an RBI single to Jason James to tie the game at 10-10. He walked the next hitter to load the bases. The next hitter reached on an error by Sasa to bring in a run. Obenchain got a strikeout to end the inning.

Bottom seventh: Reese grounded to short. Hudson bunted back to the pitcher. Yepez grounded out to second.

Top eighth: Chad Blackwell pitching for Gary. Blackwell retired the first two before giving up a double to left to Brad Dutton. He got a ground out to end the frame.

Bottom eighth: Detienne singled to center. Sasa reached on an error by the shortstop. Price chopped out to the pitcher as Detienne scored. Pecci grounded to second. Allensworth struck out.

Top ninth: After an error on a dropped foul pop for an error by Ketter, Blackwell walked the lead-off man. The next hitter flight out to the fence in left. Blackwell got the next hitter on a fly to center and then gave up another walk before getting a strikeout to end the inning.

Bottom ninth: Detienne led off with a ground out to second. Haake struck out. Ketter walked. Georgion grounded out to third.

For the second straight day, the RailCats play to a tie.

Today's RailCats Lineup:

Player, Pos. AB R H RBI

Nate Price, lf 3 1 1 2

Jay Pecci, ss 5 2 2 1

Jermaine Allensworth, dh 5 1 1 1

Steve Haake, rf 5 2 2 3

Brett Wallace, c 1 1 1 1

Steve Ketter, c 1 1 1 2

Steve Georgion, 1b 5 0 1 0

Mike Reese, 2b-cf-lf 3 0 0 0

Dale Mueller, cf 1 0 0 1

Steve Hudson, 2b 3 0 0 0

Jose Yepez, dh 2 1 1 0

David Detienne, dh 2 1 1 0

Toshi Sasa, 3b 3 1 1 0

DNP: Eric McNamee, Tanner Townsend.

HR: Price, Ketter, Haake. HBP: Wallace.

Pitcher IP H R ER BB SO

Josh Habel 3.1 8 2 2 0 1

Greg Oravetz 1.2 5 7 5 1 0

Steve Obenchain 2.0 4 2 1 2 2

Chad Blackwell 2.0 1 0 0 2 1

HB: Habel. WP: Blackwell.