GENEVA, Illi.- In game two of a three-game set, the Gary SouthShore RailCats (18-21) dealt a 4-1 loss to the Kane County Cougars (18-22) at Northwestern Medicine Field in Geneva, Illinois to set up a rubber match in game three tomorrow.

RailCats starter Josh Vincent tossed a gem in his first outing in the green and white. Vincent delivered six innings of shutout baseball, allowing four hits with four walks and two strikeouts. This is the second time this season that a RailCats’ starter has thrown six innings of scoreless baseball this season. In the second frame, Tyler Van Marter roped a single over a leaping Cougar shortstop to put the ‘Cats on top 1-0. Vincent held the one-run lead into the sixth when the RailCats tacked on a pair more. Van Marter went 2-for-4 in the win with a pair of singles and an RBI on the day. 

The first professional hit of Ciaran Devenney’s career came in the clutch. With one down, Devenney lined an RBI double into left to plate Ryan Cash who came all the way around from first to give Gary SouthShore a 2-0 lead. 

An RBI single from Alec Olund added to the RailCats lead later in the frame, and an inning later, Cash blooped a single into center to score one more and bounce the RailCats’ lead to 4-0 over the Cougars. Cash deposited his first multi-hit effort as a RailCat with a 2-for-4 day at the plate including an RBI and two runs scored. 

The sole run of the day for Kane County came on a solo blast from Gavin LaValley who belted one over the left-field wall in the eighth off Nick Garcia. Garcia threw three innings of one-run baseball to earn the save, allowing three hits while striking out three. 

The loss went to Cougars’ starter Josh Tols after 5.1 innings on the bump, seven hits allowed, three runs, four walks, and seven strikeouts. Every RailCats starter reached base safely during the game two win.

The series finale rubber match between the Gary SouthShore RailCats and the Kane County Cougars is scheduled for tomorrow, July 1 at 6:30 p.m. at Northwestern Medicine Field in Geneva, Illinois. 

Boxscore

By Max Kelton, Gary SouthShore RailCats