A one-run game that finally fell the RailCats’ way! After losing a heartbreaker in yesterday’s contest, the RailCats bent but did not break in a 4-3 win over the Cleburne Railroaders. The RailCats also got the monkey off their back with this win, ending the 5-game skid and going 1-5 on the season. Yes, these kids today went home happy, well, the ones that got to stay for the entire game.

1. Jairus Richard had himself a game! He went 2-3, scored 2 runs, and hit a solo home run in the 7th to give the RailCats a 4-2 lead, and that home run would end up being the winning hit/run of the game. Richards has been a game changer for the ‘Cats so far this season; he is slashing a .445/.571/.727 and an OPS of 1.298! I was able to ask Coach Carboneau about Richards, and he said they picked him because of his speed and needed a speedy outfielder. He wasn’t getting much playing time in York out of the Atlantic League. In 3 games, Richards has 5 hits, 3 walks, 3 runs scored, 2 RBIs, 3 strikeouts, and 3 stolen bases. If RailCats turn the corner, he could be a big reason why!
2. Coming into today, the RailCats averaged leaving 9 runners on base and had a batting average of below .200 with runners in scoring position. They had 2 games where they left 11 and 12 runners on. If they could have driven in half of those runs, we would have a totally different look at the season. Well, today that changed. They left only 5 runners on and went 2-6 with runners in scoring position, driving in 3 runs.
3. The 3rd inning started the key moments in this game. Howell for Cleburne singled and later tried to steal second and overslid the bag, resulting in being called out. Sparks would walk, and Deyni would get Peterson to ground into a 5-4-3 double play. In the bottom of that inning, Edwards would single. Peralta would strike out, Richards singled, and Allgeyer would walk, loading the bases with 1 out. Nick Ultsch would strike out swinging, leaving 2 outs with the bases loaded. At this point, my thought process was, oh boy, here we go again. But on a 2-2 count, Joe Suozzi would come in clutch, hitting a single that brought in Edwards and Richards to put the ‘Cats on top 2-0.
4. The 4th inning was the key moment in this game. All series long the Railroaders would answer back, either tying the game or taking the lead. But Deyni and the defense had a different idea. Martin would single, Deyni would get the dangerous hitter Aaron Altherr to strike out swinging, Shed Long would single, putting runners on 1st and 2nd with 1 out. But Deyni would force a ground ball out of Anthony Brocato that would lead to a beautiful 6-4-3 double play to end the inning, making it back-to-back innings with a double play.
5. Lamarr is an aggressive 3rd base coach. Yesterday, he sent Elvis Peralta from 2nd to home on a ball that bounced right in front of the center fielder Howell, who made a perfect throw home to get Peralta out by the skin of his teeth, which would have tied the game yesterday. But it happened again today, but a little different: Jose Contreras was on 2nd with 2 outs. Elvis Peralta hit a line drive out to left. Contreras isn’t super fast, so I wouldn’t have sent him, but Lamarr, as soon as that ball hit the grass, was like a windmill out there, and Jose rounded 3rd and headed home. Luckily for both Lamarr and Jose, the throw from the cutoff man bounced, and Sosa, the catcher, could snag it, making it a 3-0 game.
6. Deyni Olivero needs his praise. After an opening day where he pitched lights out, he ended up getting a no decision because his offense just couldn’t get the job done. In his career with the RailCats, he has an ERA of 3.14 and finally got his 1st win after going 6 innings, giving up 2 runs on an Aaron Altherr 2-run homerun, which to that point he held the Cleburne offense to 0 runs. Deyni would give up 5 hits, 3 walks, and strike out 4. Deyni was attacking the zone and had a great defense to get him out of any jams!
7. It was nice to see the pitching staff get awarded with a win today. After keeping the RailCats in games and only keeping games within reach and only giving up 5 or more runs twice so far is a great start to the season that was something they struggled with last year. They are holding their own. The offense may have scored more runs than Cleburne, but this was definitely a pitching win.
8. The Bullpen only allowed 2 more hits after Deyni left the game, and one of the 2 hits was the solo home run from Korry Howell, who would have tied the game if it weren’t for Richards’ home run. They also struck out 3 and walked no one!
9. The Save! With the RailCats up by one going into the ninth, Lamarr Rogers went with the hard-throwing righty Jacob Coats. To be fair, I was highly nervous not only because the 1st win of the season was on the line, but Cleburne could feast off of hard-throwing pitching, and with one swing of the bat, they could tie the game easily as all their runs came off of home runs. The main villain of that would be Aaron Altherr, who had already homered in the game. Coats had him in a 3-1 count when Altherr drilled a ball a little too high, and it caught the crazy wind, dying right into Radcliff’s mitt. 1 out. Shed Long would be nailed with a 95+ MPH fastball; it took him a while to shake that one off. Anthony Brocato would strike out swinging! 2 outs, runner on 1st. Rivas would pinch hit for Weiss; the first pitch was a wild pitch, and Shed Long moved to second. With a 2-2 count and a runner on 2nd, Jacob Coats would strike out Rivas swinging to record the save and the 1st victory of the 2025 season.

Final Thoughts: After Aaron Altherr’s 2-run HR, Cooper Edwards was up in arms that it should have been a foul ball, and Lamarr Rogers thought the same thing. Before Altherr was even at home plate, Lamarr was already wanting to talk to home plate umpire Ryan Starks. After a lengthy discussion, the three umpires got together and huddled up; after a minute or so, they confirmed the home run. Rogers talked to 3rd base umpire Jeremy Rodda and then went on his way. Kent Willis, on the other hand, was heated and walked up to Rodda, got in his face, said his piece, and walked to the clubhouse, but what I don’t know is if Willis got tossed; there wasn’t any motion of it.

But to wrap up. Many fans are upset because they see the record as 1-5; this team is not a 1-5 team. They have had their chances, and things haven’t gone their way. The pitching is middle of the pack in basically everything, something they were dead last in. The offense hasn’t scored many runs, but the chances are there; same thing with the pitching. The batting is middle of the pack as well in most categories, something the team was last in a lot as well. The wins will come; the season can correct itself as long as they keep the ship going in this direction. Keep the faith, RailCats Nation, it’s still early!