Late Rally Not Enough as Miners Drop Opener in Schaumburg
Published on July 29, 2016 under Frontier League (FL)
Southern Illinois Miners News Release
MARION, ILL.- The Southern Illinois Miners rallied to tie the score at 4-4 with two outs in the eighth after trailing the Schaumburg Boomers for most of the game on Friday night at Boomers Stadium, but the home team responded with three runs of their own in the bottom of the eighth en route to a 7-5 win as the Miners dropped their third straight contest.
The Miners got on top right away in the top of the first inning as AARON GATES singled and SHANE KENNEDY walked against Boomers starter Gunnar Kines before a sacrifice bunt by CRAIG MASSEY and a throwing error by Kenny Towns made the score 1-0 Miners. ALEX DE LEON would add a sacrifice fly to make it 2-0, but Schaumburg responeded by taking the lead with three runs in the bottom of the inning off BROOKS TRUJILLO, going ahead on a two-run single by Mikal Hill.
The Boomers extended the lead to 4-2 on an RBI double by Nick Oberg in the fourth inning, and kept the Miners' offense down thanks in part to four double-play grounders induced by Kines. In the eighth, with the bases empty and two outs, the Miners mounted a comeback. Kennedy singled up the middle and Massey walked to chase reliever Josh Heddinger. De Leon then walked to load the bases against Derek DeYoung (2-2) before NOLAN EARLEY came up clutch with a game-tying, two-run single to right field to knot the score at 4-4.
Unfortunately, the Miners were unable to hold the lead, as Schaumburg again responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning against CHRIS DEBOO to take a 7-4 lead. Southern Illinois would get a run back in the top of the ninth on a two-out single by Gates, but Kennedy bounced out to third to end the ballgame representing the tying run.
Kennedy, Earley and Gates all had two hits to pace the Miners' offense in the defeat.
The Miners will look to even the series on Saturday night at 6:00 p.m.
at Boomers Stadium.
The Southern Illinois Miners are the back-to-back Frontier League East Division Champions and the 2012 Frontier League Champions. They have been awarded the Frontier League Organization of the Year award three times since their inception, and also set a new Frontier League attendance record in 2007, their inaugural season. For ticket information, contact the Rent One Park box office at (618) 998-8499.
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