FL Southern Illinois Miners

Miners Drop Heartbreaker in Evansville

Published on August 7, 2015 under Frontier League (FL)
Southern Illinois Miners News Release


Marion, Ill. - The Southern Illinois Miners and the Evansville Otters played a back-and-forth, instant classic ballgame on Friday night at Bosse Field in Evansville, a game that ended in stunning fashion for the Miners, with a walk-off error giving the Otters a 5-4 win in the bottom of the 12th inning.

The Miners took an early 2-0 lead in the second inning as Steve Marino hit an RBI double to center field with a man aboard for a 1-0 lead. A double-play grounder brought home a second run in the frame and made the score 2-0. In the third, Cory Urquhart hit a solo home run to make it 2-1 before a double in the fourth inning tied the contest at 2-2.

The Miners took the lead again in the sixth as Marino again came through, this time with a two-out RBI single that scored Michael Earley and made it 3-2. But another solo home run for the Otters, this one off the bat of John Schultz, tied the contest again at 3-3. From there, the pitching staffs took over, as Rick Teasley completed eight efficient innings for the Miners, striking out nine and walking none on only 91 pitches, while the Otters' relief corps kept the Southern Illinois bats at bay despite an eighth inning where the Miners loaded the bases with nobody out.

The game went to extra innings, and both teams could not get much going in the tenth, sending the game to the 11th and putting the international tiebreaker in effect. The Miners got an automatic runner on second base to start the frame, and scored him when Toby DeMello lifted a single with a 2-2 count and two outs into right field to make it 4-3 Miners. But the Otters also got the same benefit in the bottom of the inning, and back-to-back singles scored that run off of Eric Green in the bottom of the 11th to once again tie the game. Green, however, with two on and none out, got three consecutive outs to keep the game tied and send it to the 12th.

After the Miners could not push a run across despite a leadoff single putting runners at the corners and none out in the top of the 12th, Scott Harkin came in and got the first two he faced out with the automatic runner on in the tie game. After a two-out walk, Dean Wilson laid down a bunt that Harkin fielded and threw to first base, but instead of it being the final out of the inning it was dropped at first, scoring the auto-runner from third and ending the game. It was the only error committed by either team in the contest.

Earley finished 3-for-6 in the game, while Marino was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. Aaron Gates also had two hits in the game, going 2-for-6 as the Miners out-hit the Otters 11 to 8, but took the loss, falling to one game back in the East Division standings after coming into the contest tied for first with the Otters.

Southern Illinois will look to bounce back on Saturday night, facing the Otters in game two of their weekend series at Bosse Field at 6:35 p.m. Miguel Ramirez will start on the mound for the Miners against a starter yet to be named for the Otters.

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Frontier League Stories from August 7, 2015


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