Game Notes: Playoff-bound Oilmen visit Admirals for Friday tilt FRIDAY’S GAME: July 24, 2015 • 5 p.m. • Joliet, Ill.
Radio: None
Internet Broadcast: nwioilmen.com
Pitching Matchup
NWI’s Jimmy Skiff (Purdue Calumet / Dyer, Ind.) vs. Joliet’s Chris Hawks (Waubonsee Community College)
For Starters
With Lexington’s sweep of Southland in a doubleheader on Thursday, the Oilmen have clinched a playoff spot for the fourth consecutive year. The Oilmen have lost seven straight road games and enter Friday seeking their first win away from Oil City Stadium since June 20. The Oilmen are 8-9 in the month of July. They have not finished an individual month below .500 in team history. Sam Geraci played first base on Thursday for the first time since high school, when he played there for one game. Joe Jumonville played first on Tuesday for the first time since youth baseball. The Oilmen have used eight different first basemen this season: Jumonville, Geraci, Fred Smart, Zack Jones, Stefano Belmonte, Alec Olund, Jordan Lewis and Josh Turnock.
Inside the Oilmen
Enrique Zamora notched nine strikeouts on Thursday in Joliet to match the single-season franchise record of 52 set by Danny Pobereyko last summer. He needs one strikeout in his final start of the year to own the Oilmen record. Jimmy Skiff gets the ball for the Oilmen on Friday. He hasn’t pitched since July 13, when he allowed three runs on nine hits in six innings against Lexington and got the win. Skiff was scheduled to pitch on July 18 against Michigan City, but the game was rained out. Skiff came away unharmed after a scary car accident on his way to the game on July 18. The Andrean alum tossed seven shutout innings against the Admirals on June 24.
Inside the Admirals
The Admirals have opened up a two-game lead over Michigan City for the final playoff spot courtesy of a doubleheader sweep of the Lakers on Wednesday. The Admirals won the opening game 3-0 behind a seven-inning complete-game shutout by Nick Allgeyer. They prevailed 10-2 in the second game, receiving another stellar pitching performance as Brendan Miller threw all seven innings and allowed two runs, one earned. The Admirals have a challenging schedule for the next four days, as they play five games in that span, four of which are against teams ahead of them in the standings. Chris Hipchen (.366) and Micah Coffey (.310) are the team’s most productive offensive players. Starting pitcher Chris Hawks has not yet faced the Oilmen this season.
About the Matchup
The Oilmen have a 21-4 all-time record against the Joliet franchise, including games played when the team was known as the Rockford Foresters. NWI has been more successful against Joliet this season than any other opponent, as the Oilmen are 6-1 against the Admirals. The Oilmen captured an 8-4 win in the most recent meeting, which took place on July 15 at Oil City Stadium.
Around the MCL
The Oilmen are now two games behind Lexington for second place in the Midwest Collegiate League. The Snipes, Oilmen and Hounds have all clinched spots in the MCL playoffs. The Snipes defeated the Vikings 8-5 and 7-5 on Thursday. The Snipes jumped on Southland starter Matt Sandoval in the first game for eight runs (six earned) on six hits and five walks in 2 2/3 innings.
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