The Region's Team Of Northwest Indiana

WHITING, Ind. -- The Bloomington Bobcats came to play today as the Bobcats handed the Northwest Indiana Oilmen their most lop-sided loss in team history on Thursday.

The Bobcats (6-6) defeated the Oilmen (9-7), 19-1, which snapped a four-game winning streak for NWI. 

Brian Jestice (Hoffman Estates, Ill./Evansville) pitched a scoreless frame in the first but after that Jestice unraveled in the second, as he threw six straight walks to start the inning. Christian Howell (Aurora, Ill./Minnesota State) came in relief in the second for the struggling Jestice but Howell struggled as well. Bloomington ended up scoring eight in the second. 

Howell pitched the next three innings out of relief, giving up five runs, issuing four walks and striking out seven. NWI was able to get on the scoreboard in the third inning after Dashon Moore (South Holland, Ill./South Suburban) hit a sacrifice fly to right scoring 

Adam Enright, Manager of the Northwest Indiana Oilmen, said they noticed something with Howell that they will work on to make him better.

"The last two innings of Howell's outing we idenified a mechanical issue having to deal with his balance and he squared away and got better," Enright said. "It is nice that we got him back on track."

After trailing 13-1 going into the sixth inning, Enright decided to save his bullpen arms and he went with position players to pitch. Hunter Thorn (Portage, Ind./Purdue Northwest) came in to pitch the sixth inning and he pitched a scoreless frame, issuing two walks and striking out two. 

Jack Ciombor (Wheaton, Ill./St. Joseph's/Wisconsin-Whitewater) pitched the seventh, giving up a run, walking two and striking out one. Alec Olund (Schererville, Ind./Purdue) came on for the eighth inning, where he got roughed up a bit, giving up five runs, only two earned. Moore also came in and pitched a scoreless ninth inning. 

Amir Wright (Griffith, Ind./Kentucky Wesleyan), Ciombor, Will Kulcher (Crown Point, Ind./Dean College) all picked up hits for NWI in the loss.

The Oilmen return to action tomorrow night as NWI looks to rebound against the Joliet Admirals with game time scheduled at 7:10 p.m. 

To see the box score from today's game, click on "Download Attachment".