The Gary SouthShore RailCats (33-45) took an early lead and out-hit the Kane County Cougars (39-40), but they ultimately fell 5-1 in Friday’s series opener at The Steel Yard.
The RailCats raced out to an early lead in front of a home season-high 5,930 fans. Gio Díaz singled, and after taking a baseball to the face, Jackson Valera roped a double to score the left fielder all the way from first base, providing the RailCats a 1-0 lead.
However, Kane County came up with an instant response. The Cougars tallied a run in the second inning before striking twice more in the third, grabbing a lead they would not relinquish.
Despite the loss, the RailCats still managed to manufacture multiple scoring opportunities thanks to a double-digit hit output for the second straight night. Jesus Marriaga and Marcos Gonzalez each picked up registered three knocks.
From the fifth inning on, Gary SouthShore’s bullpen kept them in the game. Oddy Nuñez fired two scoreless frames, supplying the 6’8” southpaw a scoreless outing for the 14th time in his last 16 appearances.
Joan Valdez and DJ Wilkinson also polished off scoreless frames, keeping the RailCats within striking distance.
Nevertheless, the Kane County bullpen was also up to the task. The Cougars received two spotless innings themselves from two different relievers to close out the victory.
The RailCats return to The Steel Yard tomorrow afternoon at 4:00 p.m. for game two of the pivotal series against the Cougars. All the action will be streamed on www..tv and broadcast over the radio on 95.9 WEFM and the Gary SouthShore RailCats Broadcast Network via the Mixlr app.
