The Region's Team Of Northwest Indiana

Whiting, Ind. – June 10, 2016 – The calendar may have said June 10, but it felt like a postseason game between the Northwest Indiana Oilmen and DuPage County Hounds on Friday night.

The Oilmen suffered a 6-5 setback, snapping a four-game winning streak and an eight-game victory streak in regular season home games.

However, the matchup didn’t fail to deliver the late-inning dramatics fans have come to expect with the Oilmen match up with the Hounds.

“It’s a playoff type atmosphere whenever we play them here,” Oilmen manager Adam Enright said. “You usually have two good starters and guys in the pen that can shut the door. You’re going to have a lot of close games. I don’t remember too many games where they’re drubbing us or we’re pounding them.”

The Oilmen (5-7) took a divot out of a five-run lead for the Hounds (8-4) by plating three runs in the bottom of the seventh. Tyler Sroczynski (Trinity Christian College / Dyer, Ind.) launched his second home run of the season, a shot over the scoreboard in left-center.

The solo blast was followed by a stretch of wildness by DuPage County reliever Bryan Bund, who allowed the next five batters to reach on three walks, a hit by pitch and a single. The hit came off the bat of Brad Bohlen (Northern Kentucky / Chicago Heights, Ill.) and drove in a run, while Cory Krolikowski (Minnesota Duluth / Bartlett, Ill.) also netted an RBI with a bases-loaded walk.

The Oilmen were threatening for more in the seventh with the bases loaded and one out down by a run, but Jake Perreira bounced back to the mound for an inning-ending double play.

The Oilmen threatened again in the eighth with Sroczynski and Chase Dawson on base and two outs. Sroczynski broke for third and Dawson for second, but the Hounds gunned down the trailing runner. The base umpire was looking at third, so the home plate umpire made the call after a conference with the base umpire. Oilmen manager Adam Enright sprinted onto the field to argue the call.

“The only thing I had an issue with was when the field umpire pointed to the home plate umpire, why didn’t he make the call right there?” Enright said. “What was there to talk about? I wasn’t even arguing out or safe. I was arguing why the guy who saw the play has to go talk to the guy who didn’t see the play before making the call.”

The game stayed dramatic in the bottom of the ninth as two walks helped the Oilmen place runners at first and second with two outs, but Perreira popped up to second base to end it.

The Oilmen owned the first lead of the game back in the first inning when Dawson (Valparaiso / Chesterton, Ind.) looped a double and scored a fielder’s choice bouncer by Stefano Belmonte (Florida Gulf Coast / Munster, Ind.) that featured an errant throw on a double-play try.

The Hounds responded with three in the third, two in the fifth and one in the seventh. Oilmen starter Reggie Johnson took the loss after allowing five runs (three earned) on seven hits and five walks in five innings. Johnson (Alcorn State / South Holland, Ill.) to drop to 0-3.

“I don’t think Reggie deserved to lose,” Enright said. “Another tough-luck loss for him.”

Thomas Goodyear (2-1) was the winning pitcher after hurling six inning and surrendering two runs (one earned) on seven hits and three walks. Bryan Bund notched his first save by heaving three innings of relief to nail down the victory.

Chase Fieldhouse (St. Joseph’s College / St. John, Ind.) reached base in all four plate appearances on his birthday, going 2-for-2 with two walks.

The Oilmen will attempt to start a new winning streak on Saturday night as they welcome in the Southland Vikings at 7:20 p.m. It’s the first Country Night at Oil City Stadium this summer with Brandt Vogel set to perform live on the field at 6:15 leading up to the game. Tickets are available now on NWIOilmen.com.