Food, baseball and favorable weather were on hand for the Northwest Chapter’s RailCats Family Outing on June 14 at U.S. Steel Yard Stadium in Gary. The annual event dates back to around 2004, according to Rich Hudson, the chapter’s secretary/treasurer.
 
The family outing took place in the stadium’s Third Base Party Deck, where evening temperatures dipped into the 60s and made hooded sweatshirts comfortable. About 60 tickets were sold or sponsored by chapter members, with children under 12 admitted free.
 
The RailCats’ opponents were the Saltdogs from Lincoln, Neb. The home team lost, 6-2, on June 14, but rallied two days later to win the final game in the 3-game series. 
 
The chapter was acknowledged on the jumbo scoreboard several times during the game, accompanied by fireworks above – and on – the field.  While the traditional Friday night aerial display was a post-game attraction, there also were two bench-clearing tussles during the game. “The two last-place teams were fighting to see who was not last,” Hudson said.