New Addition Wiley Lifts Miners with Big Blast in Ninth
Published on July 17, 2011 under Frontier League (FL)
Southern Illinois Miners News Release
MARION, Ill. - The Miners took the last game of the series against River City, 5-3, in stunning fashion Sunday evening at Rent One Park. Sam Wiley delivered a two-out, three-run homer after signing with the Miners earlier in the day. Kirkland Rivers surrendered his first home run of the season and was handed his first loss of 2011. He allowed all three runs in the ninth inning. Clayton Dill pitched a scoreless ninth and earned the win.
After Derrick Miramontes pitched a scoreless eighth inning, lefty Kirkland Rivers entered for River City in the ninth. Sean Coughlin doubled to lead off the inning and moved to third on Nate Hall's sacrifice bunt. Rivers struck out Ken Gregory for the second out of the inning then walked Ryan Meade to set the stage for Sam Wiley's heroic walk-off winner. It was Wiley's second hit of the game and the first longball surrendered by Kirkland Rivers this season. Rivers had allowed just two earned runs in 29 innings of work before Wiley's blast.
In a battle between a pair of aces, all-stars Zach Sterner and David Harden battled all day after surviving some shaky defense early on. Sterner allowed two runs off seven hits. In his first outing since starting for the West in Wednesday's all-star game, Sterner struck out eight batters and did not issue a walk. He left after seven innings with a 3-2 lead. It was just the second game all season that the Rascals lost when Sterner started on the mound.
Southern Illinois starter David Harden was just as brilliant, allowing three runs, only one of them earned, in eight innings. The two unearned runs crossed with two outs in the second inning. Bobby Burk lifted a fly ball into shallow centerfield, causing Will Block and Boomer Blanchard to collide and enabling two runs to cross the plate. Burk was thrown out at the plate to end the inning, but the Rascals had a 2-1 lead.
The Miners took a 1-0 lead in the first inning, capturing their first lead of the series when Will Block singled home Sean Harrell in the first inning. It was Block's first of two hits, giving him three straight multiple hit games. Sean Harrell reached third base on a triple off a ball that was lost in the sun by River City rightfielder Stephen Holdren. Harrell reached base three times with three hits, his third straight multi-hit game to begin the second half. He also stole his sixth base in seven attempts in the eighth inning, but was stranded at second base.
Joash Brodin's solo blast on the first pitch he saw in the fourth inning off Harden gave the Rascals a 3-2 lead.
Monday the Miners will begin a three-game series with the Gateway Grizzlies as Darrin Tew (2-0, 1.33) will make a spot-start for the Miners against Gateway righty Blake Barber (1-2, 6.26). It will be a 7:05 p.m. first pitch from Rent One Park for a Winning Monday presented by WINI Newstalk 1420.
Frontier League Stories from July 17, 2011
- Pellot Powers Slammers Past Rockford - Joliet Slammers
- Joliet Slams Three Homers, Salvages Series Finale - Rockford RiverHawks
- Rascals Lose on Walk-Off Homerun - River City Rascals
- Crushers Suffer Second Straight One Run Loss - Lake Erie Crushers
- Blake Ochoa's Five Rbis Propel Wild Things Over Crushers, 6-5 - Washington Wild Things
- Bums Sacrifice Way to 6-2 Win - Traverse City Beach Bums
- New Addition Wiley Lifts Miners with Big Blast in Ninth - Southern Illinois Miners
- Grizzlies Power Their Way to Second Win in a Row - Gateway Grizzlies
- Freedom Fall 10-5 - Florence Y'alls
- CornBelters Win Series Finale 11-2 - Evansville Otters
- Joliet Slammers Game Notes - Joliet Slammers
- CornBelters Head Home with Series Win at Evansville - Normal CornBelters
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
