Miners Can't Hold Lead, Drop Game Two in Florence
Published on June 20, 2015 under Frontier League (FL)
Southern Illinois Miners News Release
Marion, Ill. (June 20, 2015) - The Southern Illinois Miners led 3-0 after the first three innings thanks to two home runs, but only managed one hit after that as the Florence Freedom came back and won 6-4 at UC Health Stadium on Saturday night to even up the weekend series at one game apiece.
Aaron Gates got the Miners on the board immediately with a leadoff home run off of Florence starter Cody Gray in the first inning. It was the first leadoff homer by the Miners since Cory Harrilchak went deep against Gateway in August of 2013. They then followed it up in the third inning, as Niko Vasquez continued his red-hot streak at the plate by hitting his third homer in as many nights, a two-run blast to left to make it 3-0.
The Freedom got on the board in the fifth against Jon Klein, who lasted four-plus innings in his professional debut, allowing two runs on six hits with two walks and two strikeouts. Florence plated two runs in the fifth inning before the Miners scored what was at the time an insurance run in the seventh, when Gates doubled home Brendan Slattery.
Florence then scored three runs in the bottom of the frame off of Eric Green (3-1), representing the first runs he had allowed all season out of the Miners bullpen. That gave the home team a 5-4 lead before the Freedom scored another run in the eighth for the final margin.
Vasquez and Gates each went 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a home run to pace the Miners, who were out-hit 12-5 by Florence in the contest. With the series now tied at one game apiece, the Miners will take on the Freedom on Sunday evening at 5:05 p.m. CT in the rubber match, with Jarett Miller taking the hill in his second start with the Miners opposed by Coleman Stephens.
The Southern Illinois Miners are the 2014 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. For any additional information, visit our website at www.southernillinoisminers.com.
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