Miners Blast Wild Things to Take Series Finale
Published on June 17, 2018 under Frontier League (FL)
Southern Illinois Miners News Release
Marion, IL - The Southern Illinois Miners broke out the bats on Sunday night against the Washington Wild Things, taking the lead for good with a five-run fourth inning and compiling 18 hits as a squad in a 10-4 win at Rent One Park to break a five-game losing skid.
After Washington scored a run in the top of the first inning to grab a quick 1-0 lead, the Miners responded with two of their own in the bottom half, with a bases-loaded single by Romeo Cortina and a sac fly by Nolan Earley making it 2-1 Miners. Washington would get both runs back against Aaron Rozek in the second to make it 3-2 Wild Things, but the rookie settled in from there, giving the Miners' offense a chance to break out.
And break out they did, as Southern Illinois batted around in the bottom of the fourth to take the lead for good. After a single by Dougie Parks, a fielder's choice and error set the Miners up with runners at second and third base and one out. Joe Duncan then clubbed a go-ahead double down the left field line to put Southern Illinois up 4-3.
The Miners weren't done there. Joe Dudek drove in another run on a fielder's choice, and was followed by a triple off the bat of Cortina to make it 6-3. Later in the frame, Ben Moore singled to drive in a fifth run and make it 7-3 Miners. Southern Illinois would then add on with a run in the fifth on a two-out RBI single by Chance Shepard, and two more in the sixth inning on additional RBI singles by Moore and Duncan to make it 10-4.
Rozek (1-0) gave the Miners six innings in his first professional start, and permitted no runs after the early outburst until his last inning of work, when Washington's Mike Hill hit a solo home run for the Wild Things' final tally. He finished with four runs allowed, three walks and five strikeouts on the mound, earning the victory.
Offensively, seven Miners batters had multiple hits, with Cortina, Duncan and Moore all amassing three as well as multiple RBIs. Every batter in the Miners' starting lineup scored at least one run in the game, with Earley, Shepard and Dudek adding single RBIs in the comfortable victory. The 18 hits were two away from a season-high for the team, and the 10 runs scored were also two away from a season high at home.
The Miners next head out on the road for a seven-game road trip over six days beginning on Tuesday night with a doubleheader against the Normal CornBelters at The Corn Crib. First pitch is scheduled for 5:05 p.m., with Kurt Heyer pitching in the series opener for the Miners.
The Southern Illinois Miners are the Frontier League's winningest franchise since debuting in 2007, winning the 2012 Frontier League Championship as well as division titles in 2010, 2014, 2015 and 2016. 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 their inaugural season. For ticket information, contact the box office at (618) 998-8499. For additional information, visit our website at www.siminers.com.
Frontier League Stories from June 17, 2018
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- ThunderBolts Drop Second Straight to CornBelters - Windy City ThunderBolts
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- Otters Drop Series Finale to Beach Bums - Evansville Otters
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- Crushers Take Finale over Rascals - River City Rascals
- Slammers Sweep Gateway with Win on Sunday - Joliet Slammers
- Grizzlies Shut Out, Swept in Joliet - Gateway Grizzlies
- Normal Snaps Six Game Skid in Blowout of Windy City - Normal CornBelters
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