FL Southern Illinois Miners

Miners Come Back to Outlast Freedom in Extras

Published on June 8, 2018 under Frontier League (FL)
Southern Illinois Miners News Release


Florence, KY - The Southern Illinois Miners came back from a late deficit to take the lead against the Florence Freedom at UC Health Stadium on Thursday night, watched the home team score three runs in the ninth to send it to extra frames, and then outlasted their opponents by an eventual 10-9 final score in 12 innings, taking the series two games to one with their sixth victory in their last seven games overall.

The scoring started in the third inning when Corey Dempster hit his first professional home run, a two-run shot that gave the Miners a 2-0 lead. Starter Billy Griffin would hold the fort until the bottom of the fifth inning, when Chandler Rodriguez's two-run homer tied the game at 2-2. Florence then went ahead on a two-out infield hit in the bottom of the sixth by Brandon Pugh, scoring a runner from third base to make it 3-2.

It was the Miners who would make the first big rally late in the contest, as with two outs in the top of the seventh and a runner at second base, John Holland came up big with a game-tying RBI double to left field to knot the score at 3-3. In the next inning, Southern Illinois took the lead as Joe Dudek singled, Chance Shepard doubled, and Nolan Earley then hooked a go-ahead, two-run double to right field to make the score 5-3 Miners. Romeo Cortina's RBI single would then extend the lead to 6-3, and the score remained that way until the bottom of the ninth inning.

In the frame, the Freedom scored three runs against John Werner, all with two outs, to tie the contest at 6-6 on four walks and two hits. Patrick Duester would get the final out of the frame, and the game went to the tenth, and then the eleventh inning still tied 6-6. With the International Tiebreaker in effect putting an automatic runner at second base to start each subsequent inning, the Miners went ahead 7-6 on a sacrifice fly by Holland, but could not push their lead out further. With two outs in the bottom half, Pugh singled in the tying run to make it 7-7 and send it to the 12th inning, when Southern Illinois would take the lead for good.

After Dudek led off with a walk to put runners at first and second base, Shepard blasted his Frontier League-leading ninth homer of the season out to left field, a three-run blast to put the Miners up 10-7. Still the Freedom would rally in the bottom half, scoring twice on a single by Austin Wobrock and a sacrifice fly by Andre Mercurio to make it a 10-9 game and put the tying run at third base. But Duester (1-0), who tied his career-long with three and one-third innings pitched in the contest, got Xavier Turner to hit into a game-ending fielder's choice as the Miners pulled out the comeback win.

Now tied with the River City Rascals for first place in the West Division at 14-9 on the year, the Miners will continue their road trip on Friday night against the Normal CornBelters at The Corn Crib. Geno Encina will pitch in the opener against Normal's Jack Landwehr at 7:05 p.m.

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.

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Frontier League Stories from June 8, 2018


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