Fargo, ND – Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks (23-12) starting pitcher Tyler Grauer could do no wrong as he tossed a complete game shutout to take down the Gary SouthShore RailCats (15-23) 6-0 to close out their three-game set.
The left-hander needed just 98 pitches to get the job done, surrendering just four hits while striking out four batters for his fourth win of the season.
On the other side, Gary SouthShore starter Joan Valdez battled tooth and nail against a surging Fargo-Moorhead lineup in order to keep his team in the game. He tossed his longest start of the year, throwing five innings and permitting just one earned run to score, notching three strikeouts. Of the five RedHawks he stranded on base, four of whom were in scoring position.
Fargo-Moorhead got the scoring started in the bottom of the third inning, needing just two batters to scratch across the game’s first run. Evan Alexander roped a leadoff double before promptly advancing to third base on a wild pitch. That allowed Sam Dexter to drive him in, and he stroked a single into left field to provide the RedHawks an early edge.
Two innings later, Fargo-Moorhead capitalized on a Gary SouthShore defensive miscue en route to a three-run rally. Following a one-out error, Alexander registered another two-base hit, positioning runners on second and third. Dexter and Leobaldo Piña then provided back-to-back singles to plate a pair, and Alec Olund notched a run-scoring base hit shortly thereafter to move the RedHawks ahead 4-0.
Matt Leon came out of the bullpen to shut the Fargo-Moorhead order down in the bottom of the sixth, but upon his departure, the RedHawks locked back in at the plate. A wild pitch allowed Dexter to scamper home, and one pitch later, Olund connected on an opposite-field double to cap off a two-run frame.
The RailCats head to Shaw Park tomorrow at 6:30 PM as they kick off a three-game series with the Winnipeg Goldeyes. 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 through the Mixlr app.
