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Oilmen Fall to Lexington, Snap Winning Streak

06/28/2013 10:01 AM -

Whiting, Ind. – The Northwest Indiana Oilmen fell 9-2 to Lexington on Thursday night at Oil City Stadium in a game that was delayed by two hours and 20 minutes due to field conditions.  The grounds crew worked feverishly to prepare the field following a sudden rain shower that passed through the area.

The Snipes plated single tallies in each of the first two innings.  Adam Ariola singled and scored as Jacob Hendren reached on an error in the first.  Cale Robinson led off the second with a single and came around to score on a Bo Banning infield hit. 

The Oilmen drew even on a two-run single by Nick Bartolone in the third.  Bartolone finished with two of the team’s three hits.  The score remained deadlocked until Banning notched his second RBI single in the sixth to give Lexington the lead.  The Snipes plated two in the seventh and four more in the eighth to secure the victory.

The Oilmen committed four errors and mustered up just three hits against Lexington’s 15.  Brett Schneider worked 5.2 innings and allowed three runs, just one of which was earned.  Northwest Indiana allowed four total unearned runs.

“You never know, it could have [been the long delay]; it could have been the three or four days off we had in the last four or five days,” Oilmen managed Justin Huisman said.  “Baseball’s not a sport where you can take three or four days off and expect to be at your sharpest.  We were in the game for most of the game, and then it kind of got away from us in the sixth or seventh inning.”

Much of the sellout crowd on Whiting Chamber of Commerce Night stuck around through the lengthy delay.

The seven-run deficit accounted for the second most lopsided defeat in franchise history.  The only loss by a wider margin was 13-4 to Southland on July 22, 2012.  The Oilmen snapped a six game winning streak and an eight game home winning streak.

“To be successful in this game, you have to have a short-term memory,” Huisman said.  “You just learn from the bad, and you learn from the good as well.  If you dwell on things too long in this game, you’re not going to do too well.”

The Oilmen maintain a one game lead over both Lexington and DuPage with a 10-4 Midwest Collegiate League mark.  Northwest Indiana hosts Rockford on Friday night at 7:10 at Oil City Stadium as a five-game homestand continues.  That stretch culminates with a special exhibition against the U.S. Military All-Stars on Monday night.