Oilmen capture rain-shortened victory over Lexington Lexington, Ill. – June 7, 2015 – Not even Mother Nature can stop the 2015 Northwest Indiana Oilmen. The Oilmen got through the necessary five innings just in time for a rain-shortened 7-4 victory over the Lexington Snipes on Sunday afternoon.
The start of the game was delayed by over two hours due to rain. The game-time temperature was 83 degrees under sunny skies, but the favorable weather quickly gave way to strong storms.
Before the downpour ensued, the Oilmen bats provided some thunder of their own. The Oilmen started the game with seven unanswered runs. Tyler Sroczynski set up the first-inning run with a single and two stolen bases. He trotted home on a run-scoring bouncer by Alec Olund (Purdue / Schererville, Ind.) for the first NWI run.
In the third inning, Jordan Lewis (Purdue / Escondido, Calif.) tagged his second home run of the season over the right-field fence with Joe Jumonville along for the ride to make it 3-0. The Oilmen broke it open in the fourth inning, plating four runs and sending 10 batters to the plate. Jeremy Wright (South Suburban / Munster, Ind.) started the frame by lashing his first hit in an Oilmen uniform.
“This team more than some of the teams in the past is really committed to just winning games,” Oilmen manager Adam Enright said before Sunday's game. “There are not a lot of selfish guys out here. A lot of guys want to win and take pride in playing good team baseball.”
The Snipes took a bite out of the seven-run lead in the fourth inning, when they picked up four runs on five hits against Oilmen starter Keith Mahler. Mahler (Heartland / Cumberland / Dyer, Ind.) yielded only those four runs on seven hits while striking out four and walking one over four innings to pick up the win.
Enrique Zamora (Calumet College / Hammond, Ind.) sent the Snipes down in order in the bottom of the fifth. Then, the rain came after Northwest Indiana’s sixth-inning at-bat, forcing an early-ending to the game.
Jumonville (Northern Illinois / Munster, Ind.) went 2-for-2 and drew two bases on balls, reaching safely in all four plate appearances. Sroczynski (Wabash Valley / Trinity Christian / Dyer, Ind.) went 2-for-4 with two runs scored, an RBI and three stolen bases.
The Snipes remain winless in Midwest Collegiate league play, while the Oilmen finish a stretch of six consecutive road games at 5-1. The first-place Oilmen open up a five-game homestand on Wednesday night at 7:10 p.m. at Oil City Stadium against the Joliet Admirals.
Entourage Night on Wednesday opens up a week filled with fun at Oil City Stadium. Friday is Princess Night at the ballpark, as mom and dad can bring their little princesses out to the game for a magical evening. It’s also a Family Friday, with all kids 12 and under receiving free admission. A free raffle for a flat-screen TV will take place on Saturday. Plus, Saturday is Teacher Appreciation Night at the ballpark.
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