GARY, IN. 6-4-2010 — Playing for the first time at U. S. Steel Yard, the Lake County Fielders scored six times in the game’s first seven innings to hand the Gary SouthShore RailCats a 7-3 loss Friday night, giving the ‘Cats back-to-back defeats for the first time since the first three games of the season.

The Fielders hit two home runs and kept building on an early lead to keep the RailCats at bay. With the score tied at one in the third inning, Lake County’s Jeff Dunbar came through with the game’s biggest hit, a two-out, two-run single to break the deadlock and put the visitors in front for good. Amos Ramon – on the game’s second pitch – and Joshua Short hit solo home runs off starter Ryan Zink (1-1), who suffered his first loss of the season.

Zink was coming off seven, two-hit shutout innings against Schaumburg his last time out, but the Fielders were on the young right-hander early Friday night. Zink’s night ended after the Fielders scored their fifth run in the fifth, getting a run-scoring groundout from Dunbar, who finished the day with a game-high four runs batted in. Dunbar would add an RBI triple in the seventh inning to round out the scoring for Lake County.

The RailCats tied the game in the second with back-to-back two-out hits. Mike Rohde doubled into left and scored one batter later when John Parham notched his second career RBI on a ground ball single to center. The ‘Cats would not record another hit until the seventh, but still managed to sneak a run across in the fifth when Chris Carrara walked, went to third on an error, and scored on a Jay Pecci groundout.

In the seventh, the RailCats again started a rally with two outs when Carrara doubled down the line in right. Adam Klein singled through the right side to score Carrara, and after a dropped third strike and another walk the Fielders went to the bullpen. Cristian Guerrero stepped in with the bases loaded representing the tying run, but right-hander Garrett Sherrill struck him out to end the last RailCats threat of the night.

Zach Ward (1-2) earned the win for Lake County, allowing three runs (two earned) in 6.2 innings, giving up four hits and four walks to go along with six strikeouts. Sherrill and Matt Schweitzer closed the win out with 2.1 hitless frames. Zink gave up five earned runs in five innings to suffer the loss.

The RailCats (6-9) and Fielders (6-9) will continue their three-game series Saturday night at 6 p.m. at U. S. Steel Yard, with the ‘Cats sending Willie Glen (0-1, 3.94 ERA) against Lake County’s John Brownell (1-1, 11.58 ERA). The game will be broadcast live on 89.1 FM, The Lakeshore, and online at www.railcatsbaseball.com.

Saturday’s game also features a RailCats Hat Giveaway to the first 2,000 fans (all ages). The hats are just one of many great giveaways on Souvenir Saturdays all summer at U. S. Steel Yard, and are presented by U. S. Steel Gary Works and the Northwest Indiana Times. Gates will open Saturday at 5 p.m., with tickets on sale by calling 219.882.2255, visiting the Steel Yard Box Office, or logging on at www.railcatsbaseball.com.

Notes: The RailCats scored three runs or less for the seventh time in the last eight games … the four hits Friday for the RailCats marked a season low … Jeff Williams closed out the game for the RailCats with two scoreless innings … Klein is batting .412 with four RBI since moving to the leadoff spot five games ago … the RailCats have lost the series opener in four of their five series this season.