Lopez Shuts Down Otters as Miners Take Series Opener
Published on July 31, 2015 under Frontier League (FL)
Southern Illinois Miners News Release
MARION, ILL. - The Southern Illinois Miners received a dominant performance on the mound from right-hander ADAM LOPEZ and two solo homers to come back from an early 1-0 deficit on Friday night against the Evansville Otters and beat the visitors 2-1 before a season-best crowd over over five-thousand fans at Rent One Park in Marion.
Evansville got two hits and a run in the first when Chris Sweeney doubled home John Schultz and gave the Otters a 1-0 lead before the Miners could take a single swing against Evansville's ace right-hander Trevor Walch. Lopez achieved a rarity when he struck out four batters in the frame to get the Miners out of the jam, with one batter reaching after he struck out on a passed ball.
And that would be almost all Evansville would get off of Lopez in the contest. He struck out a new career-best 12 batters, tying the most by a Miners pitcher this season, and retired 20 of the final 21 batters he faced while allowing just one walk to lead off the fifth to Kurt Wertz, Jr. He improved to 9-0 on the season, taking over the league lead in wins, while the Miners remained unbeaten in games he has started, improving to 12-0.
Meanwhile, the Miners were able to use the long ball for the second night in a row to beat Walch (8-4). STEVE MARINO smashed a game-tying solo shot, his second homer in as many nights and the first home run Walch had surrendered all season long, in the fourth inning, making it 1-1. BRIAN PORTELLI then stepped up huge, crushing a go-ahead solo blast to left-center for a 2-1 Miners lead and the rookie outfielder's first homer at Rent One Park. Walch threw a complete game in a losing effort for the second time against the Miners this season, with the first coming when MATT BYWATER no-hit the Otters on June 12th.
After Lopez departed, former Otter EVAN MOTT and ERIC GREEN pitched scoreless innings in the eighth and ninth, with Green earning his fifth save as the Miners got within one game of the Otters for first place in the East Division and overall league standings with the big win.
The Miners and Otters play game two of the weekend set in Marion on Saturday night at 6:05 p.m., with JARETT MILLER facing Evansville's Will Oliver.
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