Block's Blast Lifts Miners
Published on July 19, 2011 under Frontier League (FL)
Southern Illinois Miners News Release
MARION, Ill. - Will Block's eighth inning two-run homer lifted the Miners past Gateway, 7-6, in a back-and-forth game Tuesday night at Rent One Park. With one out in the eighth inning, Will Block hit his 11th home run of the season to erase a 6-5 deficit. Clayton Dill picked up the save after closing out the Grizzlies with a scoreless ninth inning. Block took Ben Shivers off the hook and gave him his third win after Shivers allowed one run in two innings. Richard Barrett took the loss, his second for the Grizzlies, as he allowed two runs off two hits in the eighth inning.
Block's bomb was preceded by a Landon Hernandez solo home run in the top half of the eighth inning off Ben Shivers, giving Gateway a 6-5 lead. It broke Shivers' 17 inning scoreless streak. He was fewer than six innings from the franchise's consecutive scoreless inning mark, held by Jake McMurran. Shivers improved his record to 3-1.
Shawn Joy started for the Miners after being taken off the disabled list earlier in the day. He allowed three runs, two earned, off three hits in five innings of work. The southpaw struck out three and left with the Miners in front, 4-3.
Reliever Ryan Quigley began the sixth inning with the Miners up 4-3 and allowed the tying and the go-ahead runs to score. After Quigley loaded the bases, Landon Hernandez hit an RBI single to tie it at 4-4. Quigley then hit Chris Sedon to give Gateway 5-4 lead. The two runs were the first allowed by Quigley since June 18, breaking his 10 inning scoreless streak and negating Joy's bid for a win.
Gateway starter Jake Donze allowed four runs off seven hits in four and two-third innings pitched. All four of his runs crossed the plate in the third inning when the Miners took a 4-3 lead. Will Block highlighted the rally with an RBI triple. He scored on the play thanks to a throwing error by centerfielder DJ Fitzgerald.
For the fourth time in their last five games, the Miners allowed their opponent to score in the first inning. Logan Parker's RBI triple gave the Grizzlies a 1-0. Parker came home on Charlie Lisk's RBI ground out to make it 2-0. Brandon Peters blasted his second home run of the season off Shawn Joy in the second inning to extend the lead to 3-0.
Five players in the Miners starting line-up had multiple hit games. The top third of the Southern Illinois order; Eric Suttle, Sean Harrell and Will Block; all had two hits on the night. Harrell and Block each scored twice. Block also drove home three runs. In the third inning, Gordie Gronkowski delivered his first hit since joining the Miners on Monday. Gronkowski followed it up with a double in the fifth inning. For the second straight game Boomer Blanchard recorded a two-hit game, raising his average from .182 to .240 over the last two nights.
Wednesday the Miners will have Brendon Malkowski (6-3, 3.72) on the mound in the series rubber match. The righty will oppose Gateway right-hander Brad Stone (0-4, 7.67) for a 7:05 p.m. first pitch at Rent One Park. It will be Workforce Wednesday presented by 103.9 WXAN with a Miners Home Makeover.
Frontier League Stories from July 19, 2011
- Rascals Put Away CornBelters Late - River City Rascals
- Block's Blast Lifts Miners - Southern Illinois Miners
- CornBelters fall to Rascals 11-3 in game two - Normal CornBelters
- Crushers shut out RiverHawks, 2-0 - Rockford RiverHawks
- Bums Strand Chances in 4-2 Loss - Traverse City Beach Bums
- Miners Edge Grizzlies in Game Two of the Series - Gateway Grizzlies
- Wild Things Beat Beach Bums 4-2 - Washington Wild Things
- Otters Muscle Way To 10-3 Win - Evansville Otters
- Otters Bolt Freedom in Shortened Game - Florence Y'alls
- Crushers Blank RiverHawks - Lake Erie Crushers
- Slammers Put Windy City Away Early - Joliet Slammers
- ThunderBolts Slammed Again - Windy City ThunderBolts
- RiverHawks Begin Six-Game Homestand Thursday - Rockford RiverHawks
- July 19 Joliet Slammers Game Notes - Joliet Slammers
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