RailCats hold on for win against Lincoln
By Michael Osipoff 648-3137 or mosipoff@post-trib.com June 22, 2012 11:14PM
Gary's Mike Massaro follows through on a two run triple in the first inning to give the Railcats a 8-0 lead over Lincoln at the Steel Yard in Gary. | Jeffrey D. Nicholls~Sun-Times Media
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Updated: July 24, 2012 9:54AM
GARY — On various levels, the RailCats’ road trip to Texas was nightmarish (um, no massacre references, please).
They wasted little time in attempting to put it behind them.
The RailCats exploded for nine runs in the first inning in their return to the Steel Yard on Friday night, then managed to hold off Lincoln 10-7.
They had gone 1-5 against Amarillo and Laredo, getting outscored 42-21 in the six games. They also had travel issues involving four flat tires — twice between Amarillo and Laredo, and twice more on the bus ride back to Gary, resulting in them arriving close to 9 a.m. on Friday (mind you, they had departed Laredo on Wednesday night and had an off day on Thursday).
“If it was the wrong group of guys ... it would’ve been a terrible experience instead of an experience you chalk it up to remembering,” RailCat manager Greg Tagert said before Friday’s game.
“Everybody was glad to get home this morning.”
The glee for the RailCats (15-18) continued into the night, before things got slightly dicey for them.
They sent 13 batters to the plate in that nine-run first, collecting seven hits and walking twice, with the Saltdogs committing two errors (four of the runs were unearned). Mike Massaro had a two-run triple after having singled earlier in the inning, David Cooper had a two-run double, and Mike Coles had a pair of run-scoring singles.
David Quinowski was credited with the win, after starter Derek Drage could not get out of the third inning, after getting staked to that 9-0 lead. The Saltdogs (13-20) put up five runs in the inning, sending 11 batters to the plate, to draw to 9-5. With the bases loaded, T.J. Wohlever came out of the bullpen, striking out A.J. Miller to end the threat.
With the score 9-7, Lincoln put runners on the corners with no outs in the sixth against Marco Gonzales, but the right-hander worked out of the jam.
Chris Allen worked a perfect ninth for his second save.
Massaro went 3-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored to lead what the RailCats hope was the beginning of a return to their winning ways.
“I’m still excited when I see us on the field, but the results haven’t translated,” Tagert said before the game.
“Hopefully the people we have here — I know they’re working hard.”
