Miners Blitz Slammers to Even Series
August 7, 2021 - Frontier League (FL)
Southern Illinois Miners News Release
Jarrod Watkins of the Southern Illinois Miners
(Southern Illinois Miners)
Marion, IL - The Southern Illinois Miners scored runs in each of the first four innings on Saturday night against the Joliet Slammers, building a big lead that would never be threatened as Zac Westcott tossed a complete game on the mound in an 8-3 Miners victory at Rent One Park.
The first two batters of the game got on base as Luke Mangieri and Yeltsin Gudiño both singled against Joliet starter Cam Aufderheide (0-8). After a fly ball by Nolan Earley moved the base runners to second and third, Ariel Sandoval made it 1-0 Southern Illinois on an RBI groundout. In the second inning, Jared Mang's solo homer doubled the lead out to 2-0, but the Miners would pull away in the third.
Earley led off the big inning with a single and Sandoval hit an RBI triple off the base of the left-center field wall to make it a 3-0 game. Ian Walters brought Sandoval home with an RBI single to make it 4-0, and after an infield hit put an additional runner on, Jarrod Watkins then swung at the first pitch by Aufderheide and launched it over the wall in the right field corner for a three-run home run, expanding the Miners' lead to 7-0.
An Anthony Brocato solo home run to left-center field made it 8-0 in the fourth to complete the Miners' scoring in the game, and that is all Westcott (8-3) needed, as he held the Slammers without a hit for the first five innings while pitching all nine innings to secure the win. The veteran allowed three runs on five hits in total, walking only one while tying his season-high with eight strikeouts in tossing his first career nine-inning complete game as well as the first such game by a Miners pitcher this season.
Offensively, every batter in the lineup also got at least one hit, with Watkins and Sandoval enjoying multiple-RBI days as Southern Illinois again got a team-wide effort at the plate to win for the third time in their last four games and even the weekend series at one game apiece.
The Miners will look to win the series on Sunday, August 8, in the rubber game at 5:05 p.m., with the Miners sending Michael Austin to the mound against Joliet's Logan Lyle in Marion.
The Southern Illinois Miners are the Frontier League's most-successful 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. In addition, they have sent 60 players to MLB organizations in their 14 years of operation. For ticket information, contact the box office at (618) 998-8499. For additional information, visit our website at www.southernillinoisminers.com.
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 Jarrod Watkins of the Southern Illinois Miners |
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