MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL | NORTHERN LEAGUE FINALS

GARY | What was Jason Shelley thinking?

Probably the same thing as everyone else in a RailCats uniform.

"I just kept telling myself, 'Try and give Willie a chance tomorrow,'" Shelley said after keeping the 'Cats season alive on Saturday night.

The righty allowed one earned run over 7 2/3 innings and three relievers completed the five-hitter as Gary edged Calgary 3-2 before a Steel Yard crowd of 1,629.

That set up a winner-take-all Game 5 today at 2 p.m. in the Northern League Finals. Willie Glen, the 2007 Northern League Pitcher of the Year, goes for the RailCats, who are in search of their second NL title in three seasons.

"You want your best guy on the mound in a situation like that and we've got him," 'Cats manager Greg Tagert said. "Knowing Willie, he's ready for it and wouldn't have it any other way."

Glen gets one more start and the 'Cats get one more game because Shelley came up big.

He struck out eight, walked one and checked the league's highest-scoring team in the regular season on single runs in the second and fifth.

"He had the split-finger and offspeed stuff (working)," Tagert said. "(And) he struck out some good hitters on fastballs. A vintage Shelley performance."

Shelley remembered having success against the Vipers in the past by working inside and decided to start Saturday's game the same way.

"Early in the game I went back in," he said. "Later in the game I went to the offspeed stuff."

Shelley left with two out and the potential tying run at third in the top of the eighth. Lefty Jim Crowell, a Valparaiso native, needed just one pitch to get ex-RailCat Jason Colson to ground out to end the inning.

Righty David Byard was equally efficient to start the ninth, retiring Kyle Nichols on his only pitch. And closer Tony Cogan came on to whiff the only two batters he faced -- a night after failing to convert a save in a 14-inning loss.

"You always want to get back out there after having a rough outing," Cogan said.

The clutch pitching, plus just enough offense, proved to be a winning formula.

Down 1-0, the 'Cats went up 2-1 in the third on Tanner Townsend's leadoff walk, Mike Reese's triple to right-center and Eric McNamees's base hit to center.

Calgary tied it in the fifth, but pinch-hitter Nate Price put the 'Cats ahead to stay when he singled home Jose Yepez with two out in the sixth.