August 26, 2007

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Gary, Ind.—Willie Glen allowed only one hit over six shutout innings and improved his record to 11-1 as the Gary SouthShore RailCats defeated the Joliet JackHammers 4-3 on Sunday afternoon at U. S. Steel Yard before a crowd of 4,106. The RailCats extended their winning streak to seven straight games, their longest of 2007 and second longest in franchise history. The win also lifted the RailCats into a tie for first place with Kansas City in the second half South Division standings.

Glen struck out two batters over six innings to tie the all-time independent Northern League (1993-present) single season strikeout record with 153 for the year. With one start remaining, Glen still has a chance to become the first Northern Leaguer since 1953 to win a pitcher's triple crown by leading or tying for the league lead in wins, strikeouts, and earned run average. Glen will easily win the league strikeout race, is in a tight battle for the ERA race, and is one win off the league lead with one start to go.

Gary took a 3-0 lead in the first inning. Eric Blakeley singled in Eric McNamee from second with one out and Blakeley scored on Mike Reese's triple to make it 2-0. Reese crossed the plate when Jose Yepez grounded out to second.

In the fourth, Gary scored again when Jermaine Allensworth started the rally with an infield single and Tanner Townsend followed with a bunt single. Dale Mueller's sacrifice bunt advanced the runners to second and third, and McNamee delivered a sacrifice fly to make it 4-0.

Joliet pulled to within one run in the eighth inning when Matt Mazurek tripled with the bases loaded and two outs, driving in all three runners.

In the ninth, RailCats closer Tony Cogan walked Dennis Blackmon with one out and Chris Brown followed with a single to center. Cogan struck out Eric Scriven for the second out of the inning and RailCats catcher Jose Yepez picked pinch runner Nick Wayne off second base to end the game.

The RailCats improved their overall record to 53-36, marking the first time in team history that the club has been 17 games over .500 at any time.

The RailCats host Joliet again Monday at 7:00 p.m. at U. S. Steel Yard in the final home game of the regular season. Jason Shelley (6-4, 5.14) will start for Gary. Josh Regits (1-3, 5.10) will start for Joliet.

Notes: The RailCats are 14-4 over the last 18 games…Cogan moved into a tie for the league lead in saves with his 21^st of the year…The RailCats need one win to match the club record for single-season victories set in 2005…The RailCats are 24-2 at home vs. Joliet over the last three seasons.

Joliet 3 (39-50,17-24 2nd half) Gary 4 (53-36,23-18 2nd half)

AB R H RBI AB R H RBI

Harris cf 4 1 2 0 McNamee 2b 4 1 1 1

Hutting ss 3 0 0 0 Pecci ss 4 0 1 0

Diaz dh 4 0 1 0 Blakeley 1b 4 1 1 1

Ehrnsberger 3b 2 0 0 0 Reese lf 4 1 2 1

Mazurek lf 2 0 1 3 Price lf 0 0 0 0

Nicholson lf/1b 3 0 0 0 Yepez c 3 0 0 1

Whitesides rf 4 0 0 0 Allensworth cf 3 1 1 0

Blackmon c 3 0 0 0 Townsend 3b 4 0 2 0

Wayne pr 0 0 0 0 Mueller rf 2 0 0 0

Brown 2b 3 1 1 0 Detienne dh 3 0 1 0

Scriven 1b/3b 4 1 0 0 Glen p 0 0 0 0

Forystek p 0 0 0 0 Crowell p 0 0 0 0

Williams p 0 0 0 0 Byard p 0 0 0 0

Petrusek p 0 0 0 0 Cogan p 0 0 0 0

Totals...... 32 3 5 3 Totals...... 31 4 9 4

Score by innings: R H E

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Joliet 000 000 030 - 3 5 0

Gary 300 100 00 - 4 9 2

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E - Pecci 2(10). DP - Jackhammers 1; RailCats 1. LOB - Jackhammers 6;

RailCats 9. 2B - Mazurek(1); Pecci(11). 3B - Reese(2). SH - Mueller. SF -

McNamee.

IP H R ER BB SO WP BK HP IBB AB BF Fly Gnd NP

Forystek L 4-4 6.0 9 4 4 3 5 2 0 0 0 25 30 8 5 121

Williams 1.0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 3 4 1 0 19

Petrusek 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 3 1 2 9

Glen W 11-1 6.0 1 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 18 20 10 5 94

Crowell 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 5 2 1 18

Byard 0.2 1 3 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 4 5 0 0 32

Cogan S,21 1.1 2 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 5 6 1 1 26

WP - Forystek 2(6).

Strikeouts - Hutting; Diaz; Whitesides; Blackmon; Scriven; McNamee 2;

Blakeley; Reese 2; Yepez; Detienne. Walks - Hutting; Nicholson; Blackmon;

Brown; Yepez; Allensworth; Mueller; Detienne.

Umpires - Home:Harry Fredenburg 1st:Kurt Branin 3rd:Don Argus

Start: 2:05 pm Time: 3:00 Attendance: 4106

Game Notes:

Monday's probables: Josh Regits (JOL) at Jason Shelley (GAR), 7 pm

Chad Ehrnsberger ejected in bottom of 6th for arguing balls and strikes.

Joliet inning 1

Harris singled to center field (2-1). Hutting walked (3-1); Harris advanced

to second. Diaz grounded into double play ss to 2b to 1b (2-2); Hutting out

on the play; Harris advanced to third. Ehrnsberger grounded out to 3b

(3-2). 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.

Gary inning 1

McNamee struck out swinging, reached first on a wild pitch (2-2). McNamee

advanced to second on a wild pitch. Pecci grounded out to ss (2-2).

Blakeley singled to center field, RBI (2-2); McNamee scored. Reese tripled

to center field, RBI (0-0); Blakeley scored. Yepez grounded out to 2b, RBI

(2-0); Reese scored. Allensworth flied out to rf (1-1). 3 runs, 2 hits, 0

errors, 0 LOB.

Joliet inning 2

Nicholson grounded out to 1b unassisted (3-1). Whitesides flied out to cf

(0-2). Blackmon grounded out to ss (2-2). 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.

Gary inning 2

Townsend singled through the left side (3-2). Mueller walked (3-2);

Townsend advanced to second. Detienne singled to left field (0-1); Mueller

advanced to second; Townsend advanced to third. McNamee struck out swinging

(2-2). Pecci grounded into double play 3b to 1b (2-2); Detienne advanced to

second; Mueller out on the play. 0 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB.

Joliet inning 3

Brown fouled out to rf (2-1). Scriven flied out to cf (1-0). Harris lined

out to rf (0-1). 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.

Gary inning 3

Blakeley popped up to 2b (2-1). Reese struck out swinging (3-2). Yepez

flied out to rf (0-0). 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.

Joliet inning 4

Hutting flied out to lf (0-1). Diaz flied out to cf (0-1). Ehrnsberger

flied out to rf (0-1). 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.

Gary inning 4

Allensworth singled up the middle (1-2). Townsend singled to third base,

bunt (0-0); Allensworth advanced to second. Mueller out at first p to 2b,

SAC, bunt (0-0); Townsend advanced to second; Allensworth advanced to third.

Detienne walked (3-2). McNamee lined out to cf, SF, RBI (0-0); Allensworth

scored. Pecci flied out to cf (2-1). 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB.

Joliet inning 5

Nicholson walked (3-1). Whitesides struck out looking (3-2). Blackmon

struck out swinging (2-2). Brown popped up to 2b (2-2). 0 runs, 0 hits, 0

errors, 1 LOB.

Gary inning 5

Blakeley struck out swinging (1-2). Reese singled up the middle (2-2).

Yepez walked (3-0); Reese advanced to second. Allensworth lined out to cf;

Reese advanced to third. Townsend lined out to 2b (3-2). 0 runs, 1 hit, 0

errors, 2 LOB.

Joliet inning 6

Scriven flied out to rf (2-2). Harris popped up to ss (0-2). Hutting

grounded out to ss (0-2). 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.

Gary inning 6

Mueller flied out to cf (2-1). Joliet's Chad Ehrnsberger ejected for

arguing balls and strikes. Mazurek to lf for Ehrnsberger. Nicholson to 1b.

Scriven to 3b. Detienne struck out swinging (2-2). McNamee singled up the

middle (2-1). Pecci doubled down the lf line (1-0); McNamee advanced to

third. Blakeley grounded out to ss (3-2). 0 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB.

Joliet inning 7

Crowell to p for Glen. Diaz singled through the left side (2-1). Mazurek

reached on a fielding error by ss (0-1); Diaz advanced to second. Nicholson

popped up to 2b (1-2). Whitesides flied out to rf (0-2). Blackmon grounded

out to 3b (2-1). 0 runs, 1 hit, 1 error, 2 LOB.

Gary inning 7

Williams to p for Forystek. Reese struck out looking (2-2). Yepez struck

out swinging (3-2). Allensworth walked (3-1). Townsend flied out to cf

(0-1). 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.

Joliet inning 8

Price to lf for Reese. Byard to p for Crowell. Brown walked (3-2).

Scriven reached on a fielding error by ss (2-2); Brown advanced to second.

Harris singled through the left side (2-2); Scriven advanced to second;

Brown advanced to third. Hutting struck out swinging (3-2). Diaz struck

out swinging (2-2). Cogan to p for Byard. Mazurek doubled down the lf

line, 3 RBI (2-2); Harris scored, unearned; Scriven scored, unearned; Brown

scored, unearned. Nicholson flied out to cf (1-1). 3 runs, 2 hits, 1

error, 1 LOB.

Gary inning 8

Petrusek to p for Williams. Mueller grounded out to 3b (0-0). Detienne

flied out to cf (1-1). McNamee out at first 1b to p (2-2). 0 runs, 0 hits,

0 errors, 0 LOB.

Joliet inning 9

Whitesides grounded out to 2b (0-1). Blackmon walked (3-1). Brown singled

up the middle (1-1); Blackmon advanced to second. Scriven struck out

swinging (1-2). Wayne pinch ran for Blackmon. Wayne picked off, out at

second c to ss. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.