RAILROADERS SALVAGE FINALE VERSUS MILKMEN OFF ELEVEN-RUN EXPLOSION
FRANKLIN, WISCONSIN (August 4, 2022) – It came down to the wire, but the Railroaders were able to take care of business and take the finale of their three-game set against the Milkmen from Franklin Field on Thursday evening.
Cleburne started the scoring early, a trend that continued throughout the entirety of the game. The first run came across when Kacy Clemens walked with the bases loaded to score Zach Nehrir. Two more came in to score when Jacob Bockelie knocked two of his four RBIs on the night in with a single up the middle to bring Hill Alexander and Chase Simpson home. After the top of the first, it was 3-0 in favor of the Railroaders.
The home team Milkmen were not phased, however, as they scored twice in the bottom of the first inning off Cleburne starter Michael Wong.
In need of some cushion between themselves and Milwaukee, the Railroaders struck for three more in the top of the third. It started when Clemens hit a sacrifice fly to center field that brought Nehrir in from third to score. Alexander, who had reached on a walk, scored on a mammoth shot by Bockelie over the right field wall and over the seats to make the score 6-2.
But once again the Milkmen weren’t phased. They put one across in the bottom of the frame to cut the lead to three.
In the bottom of the fourth, Milwaukee scored twice to bring them within one at 6-5.
Cleburne was once again in need of some more runs to pad onto their lead. They were able to get another run to the plate when they took advantage of a Keon Barnum error on a ground ball hit by Bockelie that brought Simpson in to score.
Another Railroaders’ run came around in the next frame off a Nehrir sacrifice fly that brought in Edwin Arroyo. After six innings, Cleburne led 8-5.
The marathon continued into the seventh inning, where Cleburne struck once again in memorable fashion. Nick Shumpert was at the plate with Eddie Hernandez at second base. Shumpert swung and missed at strike three in the turf. The pitch got away from Milwaukee catcher Christ Conley, allowing Shumpert to advance to first on the dropped third strike. Hernandez, who was already running on the pitch, easily got into third base but decided that was not enough, as he rounded third base and bounded to home plate to increase the Railroaders’ lead to 9-5.
Capping the night off for Cleburne was Alexander, who launched what might be the longest home run in Franklin Field history. The ball was hit over the berm that lies behind the left field fence and onto the walking path. It brought both him and Nehrir home and Cleburne led 11-5.
Luckily for Cleburne, that five-run cushion would just barely be enough for them to hold on and win. Landon Holifield came out in relief to attempt and close out the game for the Railroaders but struggled with command. He walked Aaron Hill with the bases loaded and two outs to score the first run of the frame and then let up an infield single to Logan Trowbridge that brought another run to the plate. With the score at 11-7, Railroaders’ manager Logan Watkins turned to his closer Nick Gardewine to try to shut the door on the Milkmen.
Gardewine walked the first batter he faced to bring the total to 11-8. He struck out the next batter he faced in Jeremiah Burks, but the ball got away from the catcher Bockelie which allowed everyone to advance and another run to score. With the league leader in hitting coming to the plate in Bryan Torres and the bases loaded, it was looking like the ‘Roaders just might blow another big lead.
Wong picked up the win for the Railroaders with his five innings of work. He allowed five runs on seven hits with one strikeout. Ryan Zimmerman got the loss for Milwaukee. He only went four and a third innings, allowing seven runs on six hits with five walks and three punchouts.
The Cleburne closer buckled down, however, and forced Torres to ground out to second to end the game and clinch the victory for the Railroaders.
The victory brings Cleburne within half a game of the Gary SouthShore RailCats for fourth place in the East Division. Cleburne begins a three-game series with the Lake Country DockHounds tomorrow at 6:35 p.m. from Wisconsin Brewing Company Park, with pregame coverage starting at 6:20 p.m. on aabaseball.tv and on the Railroader Radio Network.