Earley's Record-Setting Game Leads Miners Past Boomers
July 4, 2021 - Frontier League (FL)
Southern Illinois Miners News Release
Marion, IL - The Southern Illinois Miners got a career night from Nolan Earley, as the veteran outfielder went 4-for-5 with a career-best six RBIs in a 9-2 victory over the Schaumburg Boomers on Independence Day in the rubber game of the weekend series at Wintrust Field. In the process, he became the Miners' all-time leader in career hits.
Earley and the Miners got things started with two outs in the top of the first inning against Boomers rookie Bryan Ketchie (0-2). With Yeltsin Gudiño at first base, Gianfranco Wawoe reached on an infield hit off the pitcher, and Earley followed with an RBI double down the left field line to put the Miners up 1-0 and tie the Miners' career hit record of 317 held by Aaron Gates (2014-16).
It was déjà-vu in the top of the third inning, as Gudiño was on first base with two outs when Wawoe singled him to third base. Earley then came up and hit a ground-ball single to right field, doubling the Miners lead to 2-0 and making the Anderson, Indiana native the franchise's all-time leader in career hits.
The runs did not stop there, as Southern Illinois used a pair of hits from Anthony Brocato and Marshall Rich along with an RBI groundout by Carson Bartels to take a 3-0 lead in the fourth. Then, after back-to-back walks to lead off the fifth inning by Luke Mangieri and Wawoe, Earley came up again, and crushed a three-run home run to right-center field, doubling the Miners' lead again to 6-0.
In the next inning, the Miners would plate two more runs thanks to a wild pitch and yet another RBI hit by Earley, a single to left-center field, to take an 8-0 lead. Meanwhile, Zac Westcott (4-1) was tossing a gem on the mound, allowing just two base-runners in the first five innings of the game with three strikeouts. The Boomers were able to break up the shutout in the bottom of the sixth on a two-out RBI triple by Chase Dawson, but that would be the only run Westcott allowed in the contest in earning his fourth win of the season.
Angelo Gumbs' solo home run in the bottom of the seventh inning made the score 8-2, but the Miners got that run back in the eighth on a single by Wawoe and an error on Boomers third baseman Luke Becker, accounting for the final margin as the Miners notched their first win on Independence Day since 2014.
Earley was the star of the game, tying his career-high with four hits and setting a new career-best with six RBIs, finishing a triple away from the cycle. Gudiño also tied his season-high with three hits and scored twice, while Brocato, Rich, and Wawoe added two hits apiece as the Miners out-hit Schaumburg 14-4 in the contest.
Southern Illinois will now return to Marion to kick off a six-game home stand on Tuesday, July 6, against the Gateway Grizzlies, with Michael Austin scheduled to start the series opener at 7:05 p.m.
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