Miners Mount Late Comeback To Beat Beach Bums
August 28, 2014 - Frontier League (FL)
Southern Illinois Miners News Release
Marion, Ill. - The Southern Illinois Miners fell behind 3-0 against the Traverse City Beach Bums before they scored all five of their runs in the seventh and eighth innings in a 5-3 victory to claim the rubber match, and the series, at Wuerfel Park on Thursday night.
The game started out as a pitcher's duel between Rick Teasley (10-5) and Ian MacDougall, with both pitchers cruising through the first few innings. Neither team got a single hit until the bottom of the fourth inning, when, after Teasley had retired the first 11 batters of the game, Jose Vargas doubled. The Beach Bums would add an RBI single an an RBI double in their next two at-bats after Vargas' hit, making the score 2-0. In the fifth, Chris Cowell led off with a triple and scored on a suicide squeeze bunt for a 3-0 Traverse City lead.
The Miners managed just three total baserunners in the first six frames of the game before they came back in the seventh inning. Niko Vasquez led off with a ground-rule double and Frank Martinez singled to put runners at first and third with no one out. After a strikeout, Marquis Riley bounced a ground ball to first base. The Beach Bums then caught Vasquez in a rundown between third and home, but he would extend the rundown long enough for Martinez and Riley to reach second and third bases, respectively.
Then, with two outs, Steve Marino sent an 0-2 pitch over the left field fence, a huge game-tying three-run homer that changed the game, which was leveled at 3-3. In the eighth, a one-out triple by Jay Austin set the Miners up, and Ryan Cavan's infield RBI single scored him to give Southern Illinois the lead at 4-3. Vasquez followed with an RBI single for a 5-3 advantage before Stew Brase and Derrick Miramontes worked scoreless innings in the eighth and ninth, with Miramontes striking out the side to earn his 19th save of the year.
Teasley pitched seven strong innings, walking none and striking out six to earn his 10th win of the year as the Miners took the series two games to one. They will return home to Marion for their final regular season series at Rent One Park, hosting Normal on Friday night at 7:05 p.m. Matt Bywater will pitch against Normal's Mike Devine.
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