September 9, 2007

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Gary, Ind.—Tanner Townsend hit a second inning home run and drove in the tie-breaking run in the seventh as the Gary SouthShore RailCats defeated the Winnipeg Goldeyes 5-3 on Sunday afternoon in the fifth and deciding game of the first round of the Northern League Playoffs. Gary advances to the Championship Series and will play at Calgary on Tuesday in the series opener. A crowd of 1,093 attended the game at U. S. Steel Yard.

The RailCats return to the Northern League Championship Series for the third straight season and will try to become only the second team in league history to make three straight appearances in the Championship Series and win the title two times in that span. Gary battled back from a two-games-to-one deficit in the best-of-five series and came back from a 3-2 deficit in Sunday's game to win.

Winnipeg scored in the first inning to take an early lead when Fehlandt Lentini doubled and eventually scored on Brent Metheny's sacrifice fly.

Townsend tied the game for Gary in the second with a lead-off home run, the only homer hit by either club in the series. Nate Price followed Townsend's homer with a triple to center and eventually scored on Jay Pecci's single to left to give Gary a 2-1 lead.

Winnipeg battled back to regain the lead in the third. Max Poulin singled to center and went to second on Lentini's hit to center. Demond Smith's sacrifice advanced the runners to second and third. After Metheny walked, Walter Young lined a single to right to drive in Poulin and tie the game, and Antoin Gray followed with a single that deflected off Gary pitcher Travis Kerber to bring in Lentini and make it 3-2.

The Goldeyes loaded the bases with one out in the fifth, but RailCats reliever Jason Shelley got Luis Alen to pop to second and struck out Corey Stang to end the threat. Winnipeg did not collect another hit until there were two outs in the ninth inning.

Gary scored twice in the seventh to take the lead for good. Eric Blakeley reached on a swinging third strike wild pitch with one out and went to second on Steve Haake's single. With two outs, Blakeley and Haake advanced to second and third on a wild pitch by Winnipeg's Mike Kusiewicz, and Blakeley scored on the third wild pitch of the inning to tie the game. Townsend then lofted a fly ball toward the line in right that fell for double to bring in Haake and give Gary a 4-3 lead.

In the eighth, the RailCats added an insurance run when Haake singled in Dave Detienne from second with two outs to make it 5-3.

RailCats reliever Tony Cogan, who led the league in saves with 25 and saved game one of the series in Winnipeg, came on to pitch the ninth. He quickly recorded two outs, getting an outstanding running catch in right field from Dale Mueller, for the second out. Smith lined a single to left to bring the tying run to the plate, but Metheny grounded out to second to end the game.

RailCats manager Greg Tagert was hired prior to the 2005 season and took over a club that had set the league record for losses in 2004. In three years with the RailCats, Tagert has taken the team to the Northern League Championship Series all three seasons.

The RailCats will play at Calgary on Tuesday night. Game times for the series will be announced on Monday. The RailCats will host game three of the set on Friday at U. S. Steel Yard and if games four and five are played in the best-of-five series, they will also be played in Gary. For tickets, call (219) 882-2255.

Winnipeg 3 (2-3) Gary 5 (3-2)

AB R H RBI AB R H RBI

Lentini, F cf 5 2 2 0 Detienne 1b 4 1 1 0

Smith, D lf 4 0 1 0 Pecci ss 5 0 1 1

Metheny, B 3b 3 0 1 1 Blakeley dh 5 1 2 0

Young, W dh 4 0 2 1 Haake rf 4 1 3 1

Gray, A 2b 3 0 1 1 Mueller rf 0 0 0 0

McEachran, A 1b 3 0 0 0 Yepez c 3 0 1 0

Alen, L c 3 0 0 0 Allensworth cf 4 0 1 0

Stang, C rf 3 0 1 0 Townsend 3b 4 1 2 2

Mann, M rf 1 0 0 0 Price lf 4 1 1 0

Poulin, M ss 3 1 1 0 McNamee 2b 4 0 1 0

Kintzler, B p 0 0 0 0 Kerber p 0 0 0 0

Kusiewicz, M p 0 0 0 0 Shelley p 0 0 0 0

Beuning, B p 0 0 0 0 Habel p 0 0 0 0

Pease, D p 0 0 0 0 Crowell p 0 0 0 0

Davis, M p 0 0 0 0 Cogan p 0 0 0 0

Totals...... 32 3 9 3 Totals...... 37 5 13 4

Score by innings: R H E

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Winnipeg 102 000 000 - 3 9 0

Gary 020 000 21 - 5 13 0

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DP - Goldeyes 1. LOB - Goldeyes 9; RailCats 13. 2B - Lentini, F(1);

Allensworth(1); Townsend(3). 3B - Price(1); McNamee(1). HR - Townsend(1).

SH - Smith, D; Gray, A; Poulin, M. SF - Metheny, B.

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

Kintzler, B 2.0 5 2 2 1 0 0 0 1 1 10 12 2 3 37

Kusiewicz, M L 1-1 5.0 5 2 2 2 4 3 0 0 0 21 23 8 4 86

Beuning, B 0.1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 1 0 11

Pease, D 0.1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 2

Davis, M 0.1 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 4 0 1 18

Kerber 4.0 8 3 3 2 1 0 0 0 0 17 22 5 6 55

Shelley 1.0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 2 4 1 1 12

Habel W 1-0 2.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 6 3 3 17

Crowell 1.0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 3 3 0 1 13

Cogan S,2 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 4 2 1 13

WP - Kusiewicz, M 3(4). HBP - by Kintzler, B (Yepez).

Strikeouts - McEachran, A; Stang, C 2; Mann, M; Blakeley; Yepez; Price 2.

Walks - Metheny, B; McEachran, A; Alen, L; Detienne; Haake; Yepez;

Allensworth.

Umpires - Home:Hank Himmanen 1st:Kurt Branin 2nd:Mike Baker 3rd:Harry

Fredenburg

Start: 2:03 pm Time: 2:46 Attendance: 1093

Game Notes:

Gary wins 2007 South Divisional Series, 3-2

2007 Northern League Championship Game 1 - Gary at Calgary, Sept. 11

Kerber faced 2 batters in the 5th.

Winnipeg inning 1

Lentini, F doubled down the lf line (0-1). Smith, D flied out to rf (0-1);

Lentini, F advanced to third. Metheny, B flied out to cf, SF, RBI (1-0);

Lentini, F scored. Young, W flied out to cf (0-0). 1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors,

0 LOB.

Gary inning 1

Detienne lined out to rf (0-2). Pecci grounded out to 2b (1-0). Blakeley

singled to left center (0-1). Haake singled down the rf line (1-2);

Blakeley advanced to third. Yepez hit by pitch (1-1); Haake advanced to

second. Allensworth reached on a fielder's choice (2-0); Yepez out at

second ss to 2b. 0 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 3 LOB.

Winnipeg inning 2

Gray, A grounded out to 3b (1-0). McEachran, A lined out to ss (2-0).

Alen, L walked (3-1). Stang, C struck out looking (1-2). 0 runs, 0 hits, 0

errors, 1 LOB.

Gary inning 2

Townsend homered to left field, RBI (2-2). Price tripled to center field

(1-0). McNamee grounded out to 3b (2-0). Detienne intentionally walked

(3-0). Pecci singled to left field, RBI (1-0); Detienne advanced to second;

Price scored. Blakeley lined into double play 2b unassisted (0-2); Detienne

out on the play. 2 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.

Winnipeg inning 3

Poulin, M singled up the middle (1-1). Lentini, F singled to center field

(0-0); Poulin, M advanced to second. Smith, D out at first 3b to 2b, SAC,

bunt (1-0); Lentini, F advanced to second; Poulin, M advanced to third.

Metheny, B walked (3-1). Young, W singled to right field, RBI (1-2);

Metheny, B advanced to second; Lentini, F advanced to third; Poulin, M

scored. Gray, A singled to pitcher, RBI (1-2); Young, W advanced to second;

Metheny, B advanced to third; Lentini, F scored. McEachran, A reached on a

fielder's choice (0-0); Gray, A advanced to second; Young, W advanced to

third; Metheny, B out at home 1b to c. Alen, L reached on a fielder's

choice (1-1); McEachran, A out at second 2b to ss. 2 runs, 4 hits, 0

errors, 3 LOB.

Gary inning 3

Kusiewicz, M to p for Kintzler, B. Haake flied out to cf (0-2). Yepez

struck out swinging (1-2). Allensworth doubled down the lf line (2-1).

Townsend lined out to lf (0-1). 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.

Winnipeg inning 4

Stang, C singled to left field (1-0). Poulin, M out at first p to 2b, SAC,

bunt (1-0); Stang, C advanced to second. Lentini, F grounded out to 1b

unassisted (0-0); Stang, C advanced to third. Smith, D popped up to ss

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

Gary inning 4

Price flied out to cf (1-2). McNamee grounded out to ss (1-2). Detienne

flied out to cf (1-2). 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.

Winnipeg inning 5

Metheny, B singled to first base (1-0). Young, W singled through the left

side (0-1); Metheny, B advanced to second. Shelley to p for Kerber. Gray,

A out at first p to 2b, SAC, bunt (0-0); Young, W advanced to second;

Metheny, B advanced to third. McEachran, A intentionally walked (3-0).

Alen, L infield fly to 2b (0-2). Stang, C struck out swinging (1-2). 0

runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 3 LOB.

Gary inning 5

Pecci flied out to lf (1-2). Blakeley popped up to rf (0-1). Haake walked

(3-1). Yepez singled to left center (1-1); Haake advanced to second.

Allensworth grounded out to 1b unassisted (1-2). 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 2

LOB.

Winnipeg inning 6

Habel to p for Shelley. Poulin, M popped up to c (0-0). Lentini, F

grounded out to 3b (1-0). Smith, D flied out to rf (2-2). 0 runs, 0 hits,

0 errors, 0 LOB.

Gary inning 6

Townsend popped up to 2b (1-2). Price struck out swinging (2-2). McNamee

tripled to left field (3-1). Detienne grounded out to ss (0-0). 0 runs, 1

hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.

Winnipeg inning 7

Metheny, B grounded out to p (0-2). Young, W grounded out to 2b (1-0).

Gray, A popped up to 1b (1-1). 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.

Gary inning 7

Mann, M to rf for Stang, C. Pecci grounded out to 3b (2-1). Blakeley

struck out swinging, reached first on a wild pitch (1-2). Haake singled to

right field (2-1); Blakeley advanced to second. Yepez popped up to 2b

(1-2). Haake advanced to second on a wild pitch; Blakeley advanced to third

on a wild pitch. Haake advanced to third on a wild pitch; Blakeley scored

on a wild pitch. Allensworth walked (3-2). Townsend doubled down the lf

line, RBI (0-0); Allensworth advanced to third; Haake scored. Price struck

out swinging (0-2). 2 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB.

Winnipeg inning 8

Crowell to p for Habel. McEachran, A struck out swinging (2-2). Alen, L

grounded out to 3b (1-2). Mann, M struck out swinging, out at first c to 1b

(0-2). 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.

Gary inning 8

Beuning, B to p for Kusiewicz, M. McNamee flied out to rf (1-2). Detienne

singled to right center (3-2). Pease, D to p for Beuning, B. Pecci popped

up to 3b, bunt (0-1). Davis, M to p for Pease, D. Blakeley singled to

center field (2-1); Detienne advanced to second. Haake singled to right

field, RBI (2-1); Blakeley advanced to second, advanced to third on the

throw; Detienne scored. Yepez walked (3-2); Haake advanced to second.

Allensworth grounded out to ss (0-0). 1 run, 3 hits, 0 errors, 3 LOB.

Winnipeg inning 9

Cogan to p for Crowell. Mueller to rf for Haake. Poulin, M lined out to ss

(0-1). Lentini, F lined out to rf (1-1). Smith, D singled down the lf line

(1-0). Metheny, B grounded out to 2b (1-2). 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1

LOB.