Cleburne, TX – The Cleburne Railroaders (33-32) fired on all cylinders as they stormed to a 9-1 victory over the Gary SouthShore RailCats (27-37), leveling their six-game series at one game apiece.
The RailCats managed to open the scoring in the top of the first as Gio Díaz caused chaos on the basepaths. Following his one-out double, he promptly stole third base, his 34th stolen base this season, drawing a throwing error from Cleburne catcher Guillermo Quintana that helped him scamper home, placing Gary SouthShore ahead 1-0.
However, Cleburne retaliated right away, putting up a three-spot in the bottom of the first on the strength of two home runs, flipping their deficit into a two-run advantage.
The Railroaders added on through a two-out double in the third inning, but Gary SouthShore starter Edward Cuello quickly found his groove. He fired two scoreless frames immediately afterward, striking out three batters in the process to hold Cleburne’s edge at 4-1.
Nevertheless, the Railroader offense quickly reignited in the bottom of the sixth. They struck for four runs, quickly pushing their lead to 8-1.
Still, Cleburne was not yet done scoring. Two straight hits opened the bottom of the seventh to produce another run and finish off their night, providing their pitching staff with more than enough separation to close out the win.
The RailCats head back to La Moderna Field tomorrow at 7:06 p.m. as they look to take control of their series against the Railroaders at its halfway point. All the action will be streamed on www.aabaseball.tv as well as broadcast over the radio on 95.9 WEFM and the Gary SouthShore RailCats Broadcast Network via the Mixlr app.
