Second baseman Adam Hall played a starring role as the Winnipeg Goldeyes extended their winning streak to four games with a hard-fought 8-5 victory over the Gary SouthShore RailCats at Blue Cross Park.
The result ensures Winnipeg heads into the All-Star break with maximum momentum, holding off a late, spirited fightback from the visitors.
Hall was influential from the outset, finishing the afternoon two-for-four from the plate with a run scored and two crucial runs batted in (RBIs).
The Goldeyes struck early in the opening frame. Designated hitter Keshawn Lynch cleared the bases with a sharp double into the left-field corner, scoring both third baseman Ramón Bramasco and Hall to make it 2-0.
Shortstop Ray-Patrick Didder extended the advantage in the second with a solo home run to left-centre—his tenth of the campaign.
The RailCats responded in the third when Elvis Peralta hit a solo shot, but Max Murphy restored Winnipeg’s three-run cushion in the sixth, driving home Lynch to make it 4-1.
After Korry Howell pulled a run back for Gary SouthShore in the seventh, Winnipeg appeared to put the game out of reach with a four-run explosion in the bottom of the frame.
Bramasco drove in Roby Enríquez with a bloop single before Noah Marcelo brought home Didder. Hall then delivered the definitive blow of the inning, driving a line single up the middle to plate both Bramasco and Marcelo, pushing the lead to a commanding 8-2.
The RailCats refused to go quietly, launching a late assault out of the bullpen. Kevin Watson Jr. crushed a two-run homer in the eighth, and Marc Flores added a solo shot in the ninth to cause tension in the stands.
However, Winnipeg closer Derrick Cherry stepped up to secure his eighth save of the season and slam the door on any hopes of a dramatic comeback.
On the mound, starting left-hander Ryo Kohigashi earned the win, scattering five hits and conceding just a single run across six disciplined innings of work.
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