GARY, IN. 7-5-2010 – Left-hander Jake Laber went seven shutout innings and the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks scored two-out runs in four different innings to beat the Gary SouthShore RailCats, 4-0 Monday night in front of 4,103 fans at U. S. Steel Yard in the opener of a three-game series.

Laber (4-2) scattered five singles and walked three as the RailCats were shutout for just the second time this year – both at the hands of the RedHawks.  Northern League All-Star Casey Hoorelbeke and Donnie Smith closed out the game with scoreless innings to help Fargo-Moorhead take a 3-2 lead in the season series with the RailCats.

The RailCats only real scoring chance in the game came in the sixth inning, when Laber walked Adam Klein and Mike Reese with one out ahead of a Mike Massaro single.  With the bases loaded and still only one out, Laber struck out Cristian Guerrero and got Jeff Beachum to pop out to end the threat.

All of Fargo’s runs came on clutch two-out hits as the RailCats wasted an excellent start from Tom Thornton (1-3).  Zach Penprase put the RedHawks in front with a run-scoring single in the third and back-to-back two out hits from Eric Campbell and Alan Rick made it 2-0 in the fourth.  Fargo tacked on an unearned run in the seventh and rounded out the scoring with a Carlo Cota two-out double in the ninth off reliever Will Morgan.

Thornton – who has now lost three straight starts – nonetheless put together one of his best outings of the season Monday evening.  The big left-hander allowed only one hit after the fourth inning in going a season-high seven frames and allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits and only two walks.  Thornton struck out four and was helped out by two double plays from his infield.

Each of the RailCats six hits were singles and belonged to six different hitters.  Mike Rohde did not have one of the hits, snapping his six-game hitting streak.  All nine Fargo-Moorhead hitters had exactly one hit, including doubles from Mike Coles, Jay Cox, Cota and Campbell.

The RailCats (23-21) and RedHawks (24-16) continue their three-game series Tuesday night at 6 p.m. at The Steel Yard.  Former Major Leaguer Brad Halsey (2-2, 3.43 ERA) will start for the RailCats, with right-hander T.J. Stanton (2-2, 1.48 ERA) countering for Fargo-Moorhead.  The game, like every RailCats game this summer, will be broadcast live on 89.1 FM, The Lakeshore, and online at www.railcatsbaseball.com.

Tuesday night in Sci-Fi Night at U. S. Steel Yard with special guest Peter Mayhew, the actor who played Chewbacca in the Star Wars movies.  Mayhew will be signing autographs and mingling with fans, and the ‘Cats will pay tribute all night to the world of science fiction.  It’s also a Tuesday Kids Day, meaning the first 1,000 youngsters – age 12 and under – will get a free hot dog and the ‘Cats will pass out player Picture Packs for the first 1,000 fans of all ages.

Notes: Monday’s crowd of 4,103 was the fourth largest of the season at U. S. Steel Yard, and the crowd was treated to a post-game fireworks show on the Fifth of July … Matt Mossey was the first RedHawks pitcher to shutout the RailCats, going the distance on a one-hitter June 26 in Fargo.