In the series opener at Impact Field in Chicago, the Gary SouthShore RailCats (8-8) overpowered the Chicago Dogs (10-6) with a 5-3 thrashing to snap the Dogs’ four-game win streak.
For the second straight night and the third time this season, the RailCats took out a winning streak of four games or more. Behind a five-inning outing from winning pitcher Jack Alkire, Gary SouthShore held a red-hot Dogs team to three runs. Alkire allowed just one run on four hits while striking out five.
Dogs’ starter Michael Bowden suffered the loss in seven innings on the rubber, conceding five runs on eight hits with six strikeouts. Bowden allowed three home runs tonight, the most homers that the RailCats have hit in a single game this season.
Chicago jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the first on a KC Hobson RBI single, but Alkire silenced the bats for the next four frames.
After Jackson Smith punched a sharp grounder through the three-four hole to tie things in the second, Tom Walraven busted the game open with a two-run jack, his first hit of the season.
The lead increased to 4-1 on a Phil Caulfield solo blast, his team-high third of the year. Caulfield continued his hot streak with a 2-for-4 day as the leadoff man added a homer and a double. For a guy who’s batted nearly .500 over his last five games, Caulfield has reached base safely in every game since May 22.
Tyler Van Marter delivered his first blast of the year with a solo homer over the left-center wall to give Gary SouthShore a 5-1 lead in the seventh.
The Dogs clawed back with a pair across the plate in the ninth, but Gary SouthShore’s Cas Silber closed things out with a 2-out save, his first of the season.
Game two between the Gary SouthShore RailCats and the Chicago Dogs gets underway tomorrow, June 4 at 7:10 p.m. at Impact Field in Chicago with Gregori Vasquez scheduled to start for the ‘Cats and Connor Grey on the mound for Chicago.