Miners' Big Comeback Falls Short in Rubber Match
Published on June 12, 2015 under Frontier League (FL)
Southern Illinois Miners News Release
Marion, Ill. - The Southern Illinois Miners again held a one-run lead in the ninth inning, this time 8-7 after coming all the way back from a 6-0 early deficit, but again the Frontier Greys scored two runs in the ninth in shocking the Miners 9-8 on Thursday night at Rent One Park.
The Greys again scored first, this time with three runs in the first off Ryan Brockett, and added three more in the top of the fourth before the Miners embarked on a big comeback. They scored five runs in the bottom of the fourth, as Greys starter Eric Kline walked the first three men before giving up RBI singles to Jon Minucci and Brendan Slattery, chasing him from the game. Adrian English and Aaron Gates then brought home two more runs on groundouts before Michael Earley reached on an infield single to make a 6-0 deficit a 6-5 game.
After the Greys scored a run in the fifth inning to make it 7-5, the Miners again rallied in the bottom of the frame, this time to tie the contest when English and Gates each hit singles with the bases loaded. With the game tied at 7-7, Southern Illinois then took the lead in the bottom of the sixth, as Steve Marino hit a go-ahead single to plate Jerrud Sabourin and give the Miners their first lead of the game at 8-7.
The game would remain 8-7 in favor of the Miners until the ninth inning. Alan Oaks (0-1), making his Miners debut, came in to close it out but gave up a leadoff single to Brandon Tierney and then an RBI triple to Zach Tanner to tie the game before Scott Carcaise hit a sacrifice fly to bring home the winning run. The Miners went down in order in the bottom half of the frame, dropping the game as well as the series by a count of two game to one for the Greys' first ever series win at Rent One Park.
Marino and Slattery each had two hits in the game for the Miners, who for the third night in a row had double-digit hits as a team, while Gates and English had two RBIs in the contest, with English also making his Miners debut on Thursday. The Miners dropped to 15-9 on the season with the defeat, and will next face the Evansville Otters at 7:05 p.m. on Friday night. Reigning Frontier League Pitcher of the Year Matt Bywater will get the ball for the Miners against Evansville right-hander Trevor Walch.
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