In the series opener at Haymarket Park in Lincoln, Nebraska, the Gary SouthShore RailCats (32-47) edged the Lincoln SaltDogs (42-36) to take a 3-2 victory and even up the season series at two-a-piece.
The first of five hits on the day for Gary SouthShore gave the RailCats the lead in the second as Tom Walraven belted his team-high fifth home run of the season to open a 1-0 advantage in the early goings.
Fast-forward to the fifth, Jose Mercado delivered his first extra-base hit of the season on an RBI double to deep left field to score Alec Olund and extend the lead to 2-0.
Lincoln would hop on the board with a sac-fly in the fifth after Josh Vincent walked the bases loaded. Yet, two outs later, Jack Eisenbarger came on in relief and retired the side to leave a pair stranded for Lincoln and maintain the 2-1 lead after five.
Eisenbarger earned his first professional win with three innings in relief, allowing two hits and a run with three strikeouts.
RailCats’ starter Josh Vincent finished his day with 4.2 innings in a no-decision despite allowing just one hit on the day from the lead-off batter in the bottom of the first. Vincent would concede one run in the fifth after five walks on the day.
In the eighth, Daniel Lingua drove in his team-best thirty-eighth RBI of the season with a sac-fly to center to extend the 3-1 lead.
While one run would score on a Yanio Perez RBI-single in the eighth, Tasker Strobel came on for the four-out save, his fourth of the season, to shut the door and give the RailCats a 3-2 victory.
Game two between the Gary SouthShore RailCats and the Lincoln SaltDogs is scheduled for tomorrow, August 14 at 11:05 a.m. at Haymarket Park in Lincoln, Nebraska.