GARY, Ind. — Seven different starters collected two hits, including Mike Massaro who cracked his third home run, as the Gary SouthShore RailCats swept a three-game series from the Joliet JackHammers with a 10-4 win Thursday night at U. S. Steel Yard.

The RailCats scored four times in the first inning and never trailed, reaching double-digits in runs for the third game in a row.  In the three-game series the ‘Cats totaled 33 runs on 48 hits, winning each game by a six-run margin.  Thursday, the RailCats had collected 14 of their 15 hits by the end of the fifth and scored all 10 of their runs before the sixth inning.

Massaro led another balanced RailCats attack, going 2-for-5 with a double, home run and two runs driven in.  The first-year RailCats outfielder doubled to start the game against Rory Shortell (3-4) and scored with two outs in the inning when Tug Gillingham threw into center attempting to catch Steve Haake stealing second base.  The RailCats got three straight two-out hits later in the frame, with Mike Rohde driving in a pair with a single and Brett Wallace knocking home the fourth run.

Eric McNamee and Jay Pecci exchanged doubles in the second to make it 5-0, but Joliet’s Freddie Thon took Chris Jones (5-2) deep in the top of the fourth to trim the lead to 5-3.  In the bottom of the inning, however, the RailCats got all three of those runs back, with RBI doubles from Haake and Cristian Guerrero.

Jones lasted five innings in the win, allowing only four this but walking three.  Shortell, who had an ERA under 3.00 against the RailCats in his first three starts, got tagged for eight earned runs on 10 hits in 3.2 innings.

Massaro hit his home run in the bottom of the fifth, a long drive that cleared the seats in right.  In his first four professional seasons, Massaro had totaled only three home runs but has matched that number this year, hitting his first of the season at The Steel Yard Thursday night.  Massaro’s first inning double was his team-leading 19th and the Colorado native has also driven in 42 runs, seven more than his previous career best.

Massaro, McNamee, Pecci, Haake, Guerrero, Wallace and Rob Marconi all had two hits.  At the top of the order, Massaro, McNamee and Pecci combined to go 6-for-14 with three RBI.  In the three game series, those three hitters went an astounding 23-for-46 (.500) with 17 runs batted in.

Adam Klein and Thon each had two hits for the JackHammers, playing their first game without Manager Wally Backman who was let go earlier in the day.

The RailCats (39-28) head back on the road Friday night for the opener of a three-game series against the Kansas City T-Bones (29-38) at CommunityAmerica Ballpark.  Tom Thornton (7-4, 5.38 ERA) will start for the RailCats against fellow southpaw Luis Villarreal (4-3, 3.14 ERA).  That game will be broadcast on 89.1 FM, The Lakeshore, and online at www.railcatsbaseball.com.

Notes: The game was delayed 53 minutes by rain in the bottom of the fourth inning … Massaro has at least two hits in 10 of his last 14 games … Massaro finished the series 7-for-15.  McNamee went 8-for-15 and Pecci was 8-for-16 … Jones won for the fourth time since coming off the disabled list July 4 … the RailCats are a season-high 11 games over .500 for the second time this year … the ‘Cats improved to 24-9 at home with the win and 12-4 against Joliet.  The RailCats have won seven games in a row versus the JackHammers.