RailCats 7, Fargo-Moorhead 5

 

June 19, 2007

 

Fargo, N.D.—Jose Yepez hit a home run and drove in two runs and Dale Mueller delivered a key two-run single as the Gary SouthShore RailCats defeated the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks 7-5 on Tuesday before a crowd of 4,231 at Newman Outdoor Field in the opener to a three game series and a rematch of the last two Northern League Championship Series.  The win lifted the RailCats to 22-8 on the season.  They lead the South Division by nine games with 18 to play in the first half race.

 

The win was especially satisfying for the RailCats because they trailed 3-0 after one inning against a team that has completely dominated the RailCats throughout their five previous seasons.  Gary entered Tuesday's game with an all-time record of 4-37 against Fargo-Moorhead, who beat the RailCats in the 2006 Championship Series after the RailCats had defeated Fargo-Moorhead in the finals in 2005.

 

RailCats starter Josh Habel (4-3) settled down after allowing three runs in the first, keyed by a two-out, two-run double by Darryl Lawhorn after a pair of walks.  Habel allowed only a solo home run to Richard Austin over the next four innings as the RailCats took the lead.

 

Steve Haake walked to start the second inning and Yepez double him in to make it 3-1.  Tanner Townsend walked and David Detienne's infield single load the bases with no one out.  Nate Price popped to second, but Mueller followed with a line drive single to center to drive in both Yepez and Townsend to tie the game, and Detienne scored on a wild pitch to give the RailCats a 4-3 lead.

 

Gary scored again in the third when Haake singled, went to second on a walk to Yepez, and scored on Townsend's single to make it 5-3.

 

Austin's long home run to right in the fourth brought Fargo-Moorhead to within a run at 5-4, but they could get no closer.  Detienne led off the Gary sixth with a double to right-center and scored on Price's single to make it 6-4, and Yepez homered to left in the eighth to make it 7-4.

 

The Gary bullpen, which had allowed just one run in the previous nine games covering 25 innings, was again outstanding.  David Byard, Brad Mumma, and Chad Blackwell combined for three scoreless frames after Habel left after the fifth, and Tony Cogan, despite allowing one run in the ninth, picked up his league-leading 10^th save.

 

The Gary win coupled with a loss by Kansas City cut the RailCats "magic number" to 10 (Gary wins plus Kansas City losses needed to clinch the first half title).

 

The RailCats will meet Fargo-Moorhead again Wednesday at 7:00 p.m.  Jim Paduch (3-1, 4.00) will start for Gary against F-M's Mike Peschel (3-2, 5.86).  The RailCats return home on July 4^th.

 

Notes:  RailCats shortstop Jay Pecci got his first day off of the season.  He had missed only one defensive inning prior to Tuesday's game.  Eric Blakeley got the start at shortstop

 

Box Score coming soon.