The Gary SouthShore RailCats couldn’t hold off a late surge from the Kane County Cougars, falling 3-2 Friday night at the Steel Yard despite leading for most of the game.
In the third, Elvis Peralta opened the scoring with an RBI double to left field — scoring Marcos Gonzalez from second. Gary opened up with a 1-0 lead, and added to it in the fifth.
In the fifth, Jairus Richards added to the scoring with a solo home run—his eighth of the season, giving the RailCats a 2-0 lead after five. Gary SouthShore was led through the middle innings by Deyni Olivero. Despite a no-decision, Olivero went six innings, allowing two hits and zero earned runs.
Kane County mounted the comeback starting in the seventh. RailCat reliever Jonothan Martinez allowed an Armond Upshaw sacrifice fly, scoring Marcus Chiu from third. The score now 2-1, Cody Reed was next out of the bullpen. In the eighth, Reed allowed a leadoff home run by the barrel of Oscar Santos which made it 2-2 after eight.
With Gary sensing their narrow lead slipping away, the ninth was more of the same. Gary closer Jacob Coats took the mound as a Claudio Finol RBI double to right was the nail in the coffin. Gary SouthShore's bullpen surrendered one run in each of the seventh, eighth and ninth to fall on Friday 3-2.
The RailCats have now lost six straight games, and fall to a record of 19-44. The ‘Cats return for two more games at the Steel Yard before the all-star break. Saturday’s first pitch is set for 4:00 p.m C.T with Andres Diaz making the start. Tomorrow is Princess and Pirates Night at the Steel Yard, tickets can be bought at www.Tixr.com/RailCats or call the box office at 219-882-2255.