Earley Leads Miners to Sixth Straight Win
Published on July 13, 2021 under Frontier League (FL)
Southern Illinois Miners News Release
Marion, IL - The Southern Illinois Miners got another big day from Nolan Earley on Tuesday night at Windy City, as the veteran went 4-for-5 with a home run and three RBIs at the plate to lead the team to a 5-3 victory over the ThunderBolts at Ozinga Field in Crestwood, their sixth in a row and eighth in their last nine games overall.
Earley began the scoring as well in the top of the first with a man on base against ThunderBolts ace Tyler Thornton (4-5), blasting a two-run home run to right field to make it 2-0 Miners. Zac Westcott (5-1) then took the early lead and ran with it, pitching four scoreless innings to begin the ballgame before allowing a leadoff solo home run in the fifth to Windy City first baseman Rob Weissheier, making the score 2-1.
Windy City also threatened to tie the game in the frame on Zach Racusin's two-out single to left field, but Anthony Brocato threw out John Sechen at the plate to end the inning and preserve the Miners' lead. Southern Illinois would capitalize on a leadoff hit-by-pitch from Thornton in the next half-inning, as with two outs and runners at second and third base, Carson Bartels punched a two-run single to center field to expand the Miners' lead to 4-1.
That would be critical, as the ThunderBolts were again able to come back and make it a one-run game thanks to RBI hits in the bottom of the seventh by Jack Strunc and Zac Taylor, the latter of which made it 4-3 and put the tying run on third base with just one out. But Joey Pulido got a ground ball back to the mound for the second out that inning, and after walking Dan Robinson, the right-hander struck out Rob Calabrese with the bases loaded, keeping Southern Illinois in front again.
The Miners then made the ThunderBolts pay for an error in the top of the eighth, as Earley got his fourth hit and third RBI of the game on a single to right field after the miscue by Brynn Martinez, making the score 5-3. The Southern Illinois bullpen held strong late, as Mitchell Walters and Ryan Miller worked scoreless frames in the eighth and ninth, combining for three strikeouts to seal the win.
Southern Illinois will look to continue their win streak when they face off against the ThunderBolts in the middle game of the midweek set at Ozinga Field on Wednesday, July 14, at 7:05 p.m. Kaleb Schmidt will pitch for the Miners against Windy City southpaw Kenny Mathews.
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