In the series opener against the Kansas City Monarchs (7-10), the Gary SouthShore RailCats (11-9) earned their fourth walk-off win on the year, defeating KC 4-3 in the twelfth inning.
Like a good neighbor, Phil Caulfield is there. With two on in the bottom of the twelfth frame, Caulfield roped a hard shot down the right-field line that dropped in fair to drive in the winning run as Alec Olund crossed the plate to send us home.
Both starters recorded no decisions on the night as Chris Erwin went two innings of one-run baseball for the RailCats while Dylan Baker gave up three runs on seven hits over seven innings for Kansas City. Baker also recorded seven strikeouts with no walks.
The win goes to Adam Heidenfelder (3-0) who threw his best outing of the season. Heidenfelder posted two innings of scoreless, one-run baseball with three strikeouts en route to his third relief win of the year. Brian Ellington suffered the loss after just .1 innings, allowing two hits and one run to spoil his spotless ERA on the season.
After KC got on the scoreboard first, the RailCats pounced back in the third inning. Jackson Smith belted the first pitch of the inning over the right-field fence, and on the next pitch, Olund played the sequel as he then demolished a towering solo shot to left field. Both had 2-for-5 days with an RBI and two runs apiece.
After Caulfield’s late-inning heroics, the RailCats remain perfect in extras with a 5-0 record on the year when free baseball is played, far and away the best mark among American Association teams in extra inning baseball games. Gary SouthShore has now won five of its last six.
Game two between the Gary SouthShore RailCats and the Kansas City Monarchs is scheduled for tomorrow, June 9 at 7:10 p.m. at the Steel Yard in Gary, Indiana.