FL Southern Illinois Miners

Burke Blasts Miners To Series Win Over Rockford

Published on August 15, 2014 under Frontier League (FL)
Southern Illinois Miners News Release


Marion, Ill. - The Southern Illinois Miners needed extra innings on Thursday night, but against the Rockford Aviators in a rubber match, a enormous three-run homer by Chris Burke to left field with two outs gave Southern Illinois a 6-3 win, clinching their fifth road series win in a row and tying them for first place in the East division standings with the Washington Wild Things, who fell in their game at Windy City.

Burke's heroics came in a back-and-forth contest that started as a pitcher's duel between Kyle Hassna and Michael Carden. Carden surrendered the first run on two consecutive doubles with two outs in the third inning, making it 1-0 Rockford.

Southern Illinois put pressure on Hassna in the fourth and fifth innings, including loading the bases in the fourth, before breaking through in the sixth. Niko Vasquez sent the first pitch he saw to lead off the inning over the left field fence to tie the game at 1-1. Later in the inning, with two outs and a full count after two close balls to Matt Jones, the rookie catcher hit a two-run single to left to give the Miners their first lead of the contest at 3-1.

Rockford ended up getting the tying runs on base on two singles, chasing Carden in the seventh. But thanks to a double play induced by James Bierlein off Kalaika Kahoohalahala, only one run scored. The Aviators then tied the score on an RBI fielder's choice in the eighth inning, making it 3-3. They also had the potential winning run on base in the ninth, but Derrick Miramontes was summoned from the bullpen and shut down the rally with two strikeouts to send the game to extras.

In the 10th, Vasquez reached on an error by the shortstop to lead off the inning. Frank Martinez then laid down a bunt and beat the covering pitcher to the first base bag for a single. After a flyout, a groundout by Marquis Riley to first advanced both runners to second and third, respectively, before Burke slammed a 1-1 breaking pitch over the high fence in left for the homer to give the Miners a 6-3 lead, his only hit of the game.

Miramontes then shut the door in the bottom half, catching Tanner Witt looking at a called third strike in a 1-2-3 inning to clinch the series win for Southern Illinois. Martinez and Jay Austin each had three hits for the Miners, with Vasquez and Martinez scoring two runs each and Jones and Burke driving in multiple runs. Carden pitched a quality start, giving up two earned runs in six innings while not walking a batter and striking out four.

Southern Illinois won their fifth straight road series and pulled into a first place tie with Washington, which lost on Thursday to Windy City. The pair are one game ahead of Evansville, which topped Schaumburg on Thursday, in the tight standings in the East division.

The Miners will head to River City next for a three-game series beginning at 7:05 p.m. on Friday night to conclude their nine-game road trip. The starters for both teams have yet to be determined.

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