FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 5, 2018
Contact: Brennan Mense
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Box Score

Game Highlights

GARY, Ind. — Keaton Steele extended his shutout streak to 22 1/3 innings and Alex Crosby drove in three runs to lead the RailCats to a 4-1 series-clinching victory over the Wichita Wingnuts on Sunday afternoon. The RailCats improved to 18-4 in the second half an 6-0-1 in their last seven series with the victory, which took place in front of 3,726 fans and four-legged friends at Bark in the Park.

Steele’s 5.2 shutout innings allowed him to surpass Daniel Minor’s streak of 19 1/3 scoreless innings to set a new season high for the RailCats.

After Steele tossed a scoreless top of the first, Gary (42-29) took the lead in the bottom half of the inning, scoring first for the 15^th time in 18 games. Alex Crosby led off with a double off the left field wall, went to third on a sacrifice bunt, then scored on Randy Santiesteban’s groundout. Though it didn’t factor in the scoring, Colin Willis would slice an opposite-field double one batter later to extend his on-base streak to a career-best 23 games.

An inning later, the RailCats would extend the lead. With runners on second and third and two outs, Alex Crosby would loop an 0-2 pitch from Wichita (44-29) starter Charlie Gillies into shallow center field, scoring Garrett Copeland and Will Savage. The clutch hit gave Crosby his third consecutive multi-hit game, his team-best 24^th of the season.

Crosby would strike again two innings later. After Reggie Wilson led off the bottom of the fourth, Crosby lofted a sacrifice fly to center three batters later to plate Wilson, giving Crosby his third RBI of the day.

Wichita would respond by mounting their biggest scoring threat to that point in the top of the 5^th. After a one-out single, Steele’s first walk of the game and an infield single would load the bases with two outs. However, Zach Nehrir would ground out to end the threat.

The Wingnuts would load the bases once again in the sixth, thanks to an infield single and two walks, all with two outs. Myles Smith would come out of the bullpen and strike out Nick Rotola to leave the bases loaded for a second straight inning. With Smith’s escape act, Steele would extend his scoreless streak to 22 1/3 innings, the longest by a RailCat this season.

Steele (4-2) would go 5.2 innings, allowing four hits, three walks, and striking out two. On the other end, Gillies (6-4) also went 5.2 innings, allowing nine hits, four runs (all earned), while walking two and striking out two.

Smith would work a scoreless seventh inning, picking up a hold (4), before giving way to Adam Quintana in the top of the eighth. Quintana would allow a walk and single to put runners on the corners with no one out. A fielder’s choice groundout by John Nester would plate Tony Thomas to break up the shutout, but Quintana would strike out Rotola to end the frame.

In the top of the ninth, Quintana would return to the mound and work a much cleaner inning, setting down Wichita 1-2-3, capping off the victory with a strikeout looking of Nehrir.  

Gary begins a three-game series vs. the Lincoln Saltdogs on Monday night at 7:10 p.m. Left-hander Jeff McKenzie will get the ball in the series opener, while Lincoln counters with fellow southpaw Kyle Kinman. Monday’s game vs. Lincoln is another Metro PCS Monday and the first time the Saltdogs visit U.S. Steel Yard this year.

Jared Shlensky and Brennan Mense bring you all 100 RailCats game this season on WEFM (95.9 FM) and online at railcatsbaseball.com. Ticket packages for the 2018 Gary SouthShore RailCats season are available online at railcatsbaseball.com and can also be purchased by calling the RailCats ticket line at (219) 882-BALL. The RailCats box office is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.