Williamson powers River Cats to first win of 2018

After weather delayed the start of Opening Night, game two began on time and with a bang for Sacramento. Chris Shaw crushed a home run in the first inning, his first of the 2018 season. Mac Williamson and Kyle Jensen followed suit with back-to-back home runs in the fourth as the Sacramento River Cats (1-1) blew past the Tacoma Rainiers (1-1) to their first victory of 2018 by a score of 8-2.

Williamson had a big offensive night, hitting his first home run of the season in the fourth inning. In the fifth inning Williamson added two more RBI with a line drive single to center field, and finished three-for-four with three RBI. River Cats starter Casey Kelly pitched beautifully while allowing just three hits over four shutout innings while striking out five. The River Cats bullpen closed out the final five innings by allowing just one earned run and striking out four Tacoma Rainiers.
Tacoma starter Josh Smith threw four innings and tallied seven strikeouts, but allowed the three big hits on the night for the River Cats and took the loss.
Game three of this five-game series will feature right-hander Tyler Herb (0-0, No ERA), making his Triple-A debut, against Tacoma righty Rob Whalen (0-0, No ERA). First pitch is set for 5:05 p.m. (PT) and the game can be heard live online at rivercats.com and on the air on Money 105.5 FM.
Additional Notes

• Despite a double-digit strikeout total as a team for a second straight game, the River Cats piled up 12 hits, and five hitters had multi-hit games.
• Steven Duggar did not record a hit on Friday night but still contributed from the top of the lineup. He finished the night with two walks, two runs, a stolen base, and an RBI.
• The heart of the River Cats lineup came through in the clutch this evening, as Chris Shaw, Kyle Jensen, and Mac Williamson each had a pair of two-out RBI.

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The Sacramento River Cats are the Triple-A affiliate of the three-time World Champion San Francisco Giants. The team plays at Raley Field in West Sacramento, consistently voted one of the top ballparks in America. River Cats Season Tickets, Mini-Plans, and Flex Plans can be purchased for the 2018 season by calling the River Cats Ticket Hotline at (916) 371-HITS (4487). For more information about the River Cats, visit www.rivercats.com. For information on other events at Raley Field, visit www.raleyfield.com.