Mike Massaro was 4-for-6, including a go-ahead two-run triple in the 11th inning as the RailCats swept Wichita with a 7-4 win in game two of Tuesday’s doubleheader. Gary (16-14) pulled to within three games of the first-place Wingnuts in the Central Division.
With the game tied at four in the 11th inning of the game and 20th inning of the day, Chase Tucker led off with a single off of Wingnuts’ reliever Kyle Wahl. Adam Klein followed with a walk before Massaro delivered his second triple of the game, down the right field line, to score both baserunners. Massaro came home on a wild pitch to make it 7-4. Clay Zavada pitched around a walk and a single in the bottom of the inning for his second save of the day and fourth of the season.
The RailCats broke a scoreless tie in the fifth inning. With the bases empty and two outs, Klein singled and Massaro brought him home with a double. Cristian Guerrero followed with an infield single, and an error on the same play allowed Massaro to score to give the ‘Cats a 2-0 lead.
Wichita came right back to tie it in the home half of the inning in a virtual instant replay of what the RailCats did on the top half. Brent Clevelen hit a leadoff double and scored on a two-bagger by Abel Nieves. With two out, Jared McDonald had an infield hit and an error by the first baseman Danny Pulfer allowed David Amberson to score to tie the game at two.
The Wingnuts grabbed the lead in the sixth on an RBI double by CJ Ziegler. Gary responded with a run in the top of the seventh, as Adam Klein hit a two-out triple and scored on a wild pitch. Massaro followed with his first triple of the night.
Ryan Khoury put Wichita back in front with an RBI single in the seventh. The RailCats tied the game in a wild eighth inning. After a leadoff bunt single by Ryan Babineau, reliever Nick Walters came on and hit the next three batters he faced with pitches, allowing pinch-runner Morgan Coombs to score the tying run.
Marco Gonzalez (1-3) pitched scoreless ninth and tenth innings for the victory. RailCats starter Billy Spottiswood held Wichita to two runs in 4 2/3 in the no-decision.
The series finale and final game of the road trip is on Wednesday at 7:05 p.m. The radio broadcast begins at 7:00 on 89.1 FM The Lakeshore and www.railcatsbaseball.com.
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