For the fifth time this season, the Gary SouthShore RailCats (7-8) took a series finale, this time against the Fargo-Moorhead Redhawks (10-5), with an 8-3 victory to snap the Redhawks' five-game win streak, the second time the RailCats have completed that task in the last two weeks.
David Griffin earned the win, tossing six innings of one-run baseball on three hits while striking out seven. The loss is accredited to Bret Helton who allowed five runs to plate in three innings on the rubber after conceding seven hits and walking two.
Gary SouthShore came into the series finale drawing the most walks in the American Association, and tallied ten more on the night, the RailCats highest mark on the year.
Between Phil Caulfield and MJ Rookard, the respective one and two hitters in the RailCats lineup, the duo reached base safely on all ten of their combined plate appearances. Rookard produced a 3-for-4 day at the dish with three runs scored and three RBI and Caulfield went 2-for-2 with a pair of singles as he scored thrice as well.
The first seven RailCats batters of the game reached base safely, driving in three in the opening frame to take an early lead, and the ‘Cats never looked back.
Raymond Jones, whose day was cut short after three innings, went 1-for-2 with a two-RBI double in the second to tack onto a 5-0 lead.
Fargo-Moorhead clawed back in the middle innings to set the table for a 5-3 game heading into the eighth, but Nolan Clenney shut the door with an eight-out save, allowing just one hit in 2.2 scoreless innings.
For insurance, Rookard plated a pair in the eighth and crossed the plate himself to complete the 8-3 finish.
Despite an unusually difficult schedule to open the season, Gary SouthShore prepares to play four on the road at Impact Field against a Chicago Dogs team that’s now tied for first place with the Redhawks. First pitch for the series’ opener is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. tomorrow, June 3 in Rosemont, Illi.