(From Owensboro) The Owensboro Oilers reached the halfway point of the 2015 season with Monday night's home game against visiting Fulton, but it was the Railroaders who turned the game their way for keeps, winning by the final score 7 to 3.
     Fulton scored first with one run in the top of the 2nd inning. Colton Aldridge doubled with one out. An out later, he scored as Lucas Eliason reached on a defensive error. The Railroaders added one run more in top of the 3rd inning. With one out, Griffin Neuer doubled. Clay Reece walked, and a strikeout later, Kipp Moore also walked to load the bases. Aldridge returned to the plate and walked as well -- earning an RBI for Neuer scoring.
     The Oilers answered with all three home team runs in the bottom of the 3rd inning. Ben Rhodes opened the home half with a double. A deep ground out to the right side of second base moved Rhodes on to third base. Rhodes scored on a RBI single by Tyler Tichenor. Another ground out put Tichenor on second base. Ty Broady followed with a 2-RBI home run over the right field fence, driving in both Tichenor and himself. After three complete innings the Oilers led the game by a 3 to 2 score, but the hometown lead was all-too brief.
     It seemed the Railroaders immediately began the process of topping the Owensboro output and scored 4 decisive runs in the top of the 4th inning. Eliason batted first and was hit by a pitch. John Anderson singled and Jacob Elliot walked, loading the bases with no outs. A wild pitch brought Eliason across and moved the other runners up one base each. Neuer walked to re-load the bases for Fulton ... with no outs. Then Reece was hit by a pitch, the battering batted in Anderson. A 2-RBI single by Brad Baldwin scored both Elliot and Neuer. Three consecutive outs followed a pitching change, but Fulton steamed back into the lead 6 to 3.
     The Railroaders scored once more in the top of the 9th inning. Drew Greenwood singled with one away. Eliason followed with a double, pushing Greenwood over to third base. Anderson reached on a defensive error that allowed Greenwood in as Eliason stayed put. 
     The Oilers got a one out double from Riley Benner in the bottom of the 9th inning, but he got no farther than third base before the end of the game.
     Owensboro starter Charlie Dishman takes the loss, while Fulton starter Justin Hayden collects the win in his second consecutive start against the Oilers at Owensboro. Three Oiler relievers combined to give their team a chance by allowing just one unearned run over 5.67 innings. Fulton reliever Trey Tigart provided two scoreless innings that his team's tack-on run in the 9th made a non-save situation.