09/13/2006 9:52 AM - Willie Glen fired a two-hit shutout and struck out 12 batters as the Gary SouthShore RailCats blanked the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks 5-0 in game one of the Northern League Championship Series on Tuesday at U. S. Steel Yard in Gary.

The game was delayed at the start by one hour and 51 minutes due to early evening rain off the south shore of Lake Michigan. When it began, the RailCats wasted no time in getting the lead. Tanner Townsend opened the first with an infield hit and went to second on Steve Haake's single to right. Jermaine Allensworth's sacrifice bunt advanced the runners to second and third, and Chris Curry followed with a single to right to drive in both Townsend and Haake to make it 2-0.

In the second, Gary added three more runs. Jay Pecci opened the frame with an infield hit and went to second on Townsend's one-out single. After Haake flied to center, both runners advanced a base on a passed ball. Allensworth followed with a line drive off the leg of Fargo-Moorhead pitcher Brandon Goltz for an infield single as Pecci scored. Goltz then uncorked a wild pitch to allow Townsend to score, and Jarrod Patterson's single against new pitcher Brian Hewitt brought in Allensworth to make it 5-0.

Meanwhile, Glen was sensational. After walking Joe Mathis to begin the game, he retired the next 14 batters in order before Allen Mottram lined a single to left field with two outs in the fifth. Craig Ringe followed Mottram's hit with an infield single to short, but Glen struck out Kory Wayment to end the threat and did not allow another hit the rest of the night.

Glen's 12 strikeouts were one short of the RailCats club record. He struck out six straight at one point in the early innings and made every RedHawks hitter a strikeout victim at least once on the night. Only one Fargo-Moorhead runner reached second base in the game.

Glen has thrown 17 scoreless innings in the playoffs, allowing just eight hits and striking out 20 while walking four. He is 2-0 in the 2006 post-season after going 2-0 for the RailCats in the 2005 playoffs.

The RailCats pitching staff has allowed just one run (unearned) in four post-season games at U. S. Steel Yard.

The RailCats have won 12 consecutive home games dating back to the final week of the regular season. Gary pitchers have allowed only 12 runs in those 12 games.

Northern League Championship Series: (all times CDT)

Game 1: Tuesday, September 12: Gary 5, Fargo-Moorhead 0

Game 2: Wednesday, September 13: Fargo-Moorhead @ Gary, 7 p.m.

Game 3: Friday, September 15: Gary @ Fargo-Moorhead, 6:05 p.m.

Game 4 (if necessary): Saturday, September 16: Gary @ Fargo-Moorhead, 1:35 p.m.

Game 5 (if necessary): Sunday, September 17: Gary @ Fargo-Moorhead, 6:05 p.m.