Schaumburg 6, RailCats 5, Final

May 11, 2007

Gary, Ind.—Demetrius Heath delivered a run-scoring single to break a 4-4 tie in the seventh inning as the Schaumburg Flyers came back from a 3-0 deficit to defeat the Gary SouthShore RailCats 6-5 in spring training action on Friday. The RailCats are 1-2 on the spring season while Schaumburg is 1-1.

The RailCats scored three times in the second inning to take an early lead. Eric Blakeley started the rally with a triple to center and scored on Steve Haake's ground out. Jay Pecci singled, stole second, and Mike Reese's double. Reese scored on a two-out single by Eric McNamee.

After Schaumburg scored once in the third, Gary answered with a run in the fifth on a McNamee double and a two-out run-scoring single by Jose Yepez to make it 4-1.

Schaumburg scored twice in the sixth on Keith Maxwell's two-run double to make it 4-3 and added two more in the seventh to take the lead. Billy Malone tripled to start the inning and scored on Kevin House's ground out. Heath singled to bring in the second run of the inning. Schaumburg scored again in the ninth on a two-out RBI single by Sandy Almonte to go ahead 6-4.

Gary rallied in the bottom of the ninth. Nate Price walked, went second on Haake's ground out, and took third on an error. Reese's sacrifice fly brought in Price to make it 6-5, but with the tying run at second, Dale Mueller grounded out to second to end the game.

Reese had two hits and two RBI for Gary, while McNamee and Pecci each added two hits as part of a nine hit RailCats attack.

The RailCats will play at Windy City on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. Jason Shelley is the scheduled starter for Gary. The RailCats will host Windy City on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. as Willie Glen gets the start.

Notes: Scheduled RailCats starting pitcher Travis Kerber was scratched due to arm soreness. It is not thought to be serious…Steve Obenchain, a former supplemental first round draft pick of the Oakland A's, started the game for the RailCats and retired all six batters he faced without allowing a ball out of the infield. He struck out three…The Flyers rallied against RailCats non-roster pitchers Greg Oravetz, Jimmy Flores, and Darrell Hacker, scoring five runs over the final four innings against the three hurlers who are with the RailCats on a try-out basis…Schaumburg had nine hits including two each by Heath and Eric Riggs.

Game Log:

Top first: Obenchain had a very impressive first inning, retiring the side in order with two strikeouts.

Bottom first: McNamee flied out to right. Caston struck out looking. Townsend reached on an error by the shortstop. Ketter grounded out to third.

Top second: Obenchain had his second straight outstanding inning, retiring all three batters with a strikeout.

Bottom second: Blakeley led off with a triple over the head of the centerfielder. Haake grounded out to second to bring in the run. Pecci singled to center and stole second. Reese drilled a double down the left field line to drive in Pecci. Price popped out to short. McNamee lined a single to right to drive in Reese. Caston grounded out to second.

Top third: Chad Blackwell now pitching for Gary. Blackwell retired the first two batters before allowing a triple to right on a ball pushed toward the fence by a strong wind. The next batter, Demetrius Heath, lined a single to right to bring in the run. The next batter grounded to second.

Bottom third: Townsend grounded to second. Ketter delivered a single to right. Blakeley flied out to right. Haake struck out swinging.

Top fourth: Blackwell walked the lead-off hitter. After a strikeout, he allowed an infield single on a ball that deflected off the body of second baseman Eric McNamee. After a stolen base put men at second and third with one out, Blackwell notched a big strikeout of Kevin Bass and then got a grounder to short to strand two runners in scoring position.

Bottom fourth: Pecci flied to shallow left. Reese struck out swinging. Price struck out swinging.

Top fifth: Now pitching for Gary, Greg Oravetz. Easy 1-2-3 inning for Oravetz.

Bottom fifth: McNamee ripped a double to right. Allensworth batting for Caston. Allensworth struck out swinging. Townsend struck out. Yepez batting for Ketter. Yepez singled to right to drive in McNamee from second. Blakeley flied out to right.

Top sixth: Allensworth in left. Georgion playing first. Blakeley moves from first to second. Yepez catching. Mueller in center. Oravetz walked the lead-off man and then aloowed a hit-and-run single followed by a two-run double by Keith Maxwell, who was out at third. Oravetz got the next two hitters to hold a one run lead.

Bottom sixth: Haake struck out swinging. Pecci looped a single to center. Pecci thrown out attempting to steal second. Reese safe on an infield hit to third. Mueller grounded to third.

Top seventh: Jimmy Flores is now pitching for Gary. Brett Wallace now catching. Flores allowed a lead-off triple to Billy Malone and after a walk, a fielder's choice brought in the tying run. Flores uncorked a wild pitch and then gave up a tie-breaking RBI single to Demetrius Heath. Heath was caught stealing on a nice throw by Wallace. Flores got a strikeout to end the frame.

Bottom seventh: Georgion grounded out to second. Allensworth grounded out to third. Townsend grounded out to short.

Top eighth: Flores allowed a lead-off double to Eric Riggs but retired the next three hitters to strand the runner at second.

Bottom eighth: Yepez popped to the shortstop. Wallace popped to first. Caston flied to right as the RailCats move some people around in the batting order to get at bats for specific hitters.

Top ninth: Darrell Hacker now pitching for Gary. Hacker allowed a one-out walk and after a strikeout, threw a wild pitch to move the runner to second. He then issued his second walk of the inning followed by an RBI single to Sandy Almonte. The next batter grounded to first on a nice play by Georgion.

Bottom ninth: Price walked. Haake grounded to second, Price went to second. Pecci reached on an error by the center fielder (dropped fly ball), Price to third. Reese lifted a sacrifice fly to center, Price scored, Pecci to third. Mueller grounded out to second to end the game.

Today's RailCats Starting Lineup:

Player, Pos. AB R H RBI

Eric McNamee, 2b 3 1 2 1

Steve Georgion, 1b 1 0 0 0

Bernard Caston, lf-dh 3 0 0 0

Jermaine Allensworth, lf 2 0 0 0

Tanner Townsend, 3b 4 0 0 0

Steve Ketter, c 2 0 1 0

Jose Yepez, c-dh 2 0 1 1

Brett Wallace, c 1 0 0 0

Eric Blakeley, 1b 3 1 1 0

Steve Haake, dh-rf 4 0 0 1

Jay Pecci, ss 4 1 2 0

Mike Reese, rf-2b 3 1 2 2

Nate Price, cf-dh 2 1 0 0

Dale Mueller, cf 2 0 0 0

Toshi Sasa

2B: Reese, McNamee. 3B: Blakeley. SB: Pecci.

Pitcher IP H R ER BB SO

Steve Obenchain 2.0 0 0 0 0 3

Chad Blackwell 2.0 3 1 1 1 2

Greg Oravetz 2.0 2 2 2 1 2

Jimmy Flores (L) 2.0 3 2 2 1 2

Darrell Hacker 1.0 1 1 1 2 0

WP: Flores, Hacker.