05/28/2016 7:48 AM -
SATURDAY’S GAME:
Northwest Indiana Oilmen (0-1)
at DuPage County Hounds (2-0)
May 28, 2015 • 1 p.m. • Lemont, Ill.
Radio: Internet Only, 12:40 p.m. pregame (NWIOilmen.com)
Pitching Matchup
NWI’s Clay Keltner (Cornerstone / Highland, Ind.) vs. DuPage County’s Cole Berry (Eastern Illinois / St. Joseph, Ill.)
For Starters
The Oilmen saw a two-year Opening Day winning streak come to a close in a 3-0 loss to the Bobcats on Friday. The Oilmen managed just two hits in the defeat. It was the second-lowest hit total in team history. The Oilmen were limited to only one hit in a 10-0 loss to Joliet on July 24 last season. The defeat snapped a five-game regular season winning streak the dated back to July 26 of last year. Friday also marked the first time in Oilmen history the team was shutout in a nine-inning game. The Oilmen had been blanked on three prior occasions in the five-year history of the club, but all were seven-inning contests.
Inside the Oilmen
Oilmen manager Adam Enright will make his return to the dugout for Saturday’s game. He missed Friday’s game at Bloomington, as Enright’s spring team, Trinity Christian College, was competing in the NCCAA National Championships in Mason, Ohio. The Trolls were eliminated on a walk-off single in a 4-3 loss to Southwestern Christian on Friday. Highland graduate Clay Keltner makes his Oilmen debut after completing his freshman season at Cornerstone University. He had a 5.19 ERA in 13 games (four starts) at Cornerstone, walking 22 and striking out 42 over 43 1/3 innings.
Inside the Hounds
The defending Midwest Collegiate League champions have already climbed to first-place in the standings, rapping off back-to-back wins to start the year. The Hounds are notorious fast starters. The Oilmen handed them their first loss last season, a 7-1 NWI victory on June 6 at Lemont that snapped a 4-0 start. In 2014, the Hounds started 7-0. Saturday’s starter Cole Berry logged 10 innings out of the bullpen for Eastern Illinois this season and struck out six. He threw four innings against Arkansas on March 6 and allowed one run over four innings.
About the Matchup
The Oilmen won the season series against the Hounds for the first time in team history a year ago, capturing five of the nine showdowns. The Oilmen are 16-18 all-time against DuPage County, a matchup that goes all the way back to the first-ever game for both teams in 2012.
Spring Updates
Oilmen infielder Stefano Belmonte belted his first home run of the season on Friday, ripping a two-run shot in the sixth to help Florida Gulf Coast upend Kennesaw State 6-0 in an Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament elimination game. Later in the day, Belmonte lifted a sacrifice fly and singled in an 8-6 win over Lipscomb. The win allowed the Eagles to advance to the tournament semifinals against North Florida at 2 p.m. on Saturday. Elsewhere, Chase Dawson had a single, a double, a walk and three runs scored to help Valparaiso erase a 6-0 deficit to beat Milwaukee 12-7 in the Horizon League Tournament. The Crusaders play top-seeded Wright State on Saturday at 11 a.m. and must beat the Raiders twice to become Horizon League champions. Blake Cleveland and Central Michigan advanced in the MAC Tournament with a 5-3 win over Miami of Ohio on Friday. The Chippewas play Western Michigan on Saturday morning.
Click "download attachment" to view full Oilmen game notes.
