FL Southern Illinois Miners

Miners Lose Heartbreaker at Florence in Extras

May 24, 2019 - Frontier League (FL)
Southern Illinois Miners News Release


Florence, KY - The Southern Illinois Miners rallied back from down 4-0 after three innings against the Florence Freedom, taking a 7-5 lead in the eighth inning, but allowed the home team to tie the game that frame, then win it in the 10th inning on a wild pitch by a final score of 8-7 at UC Health Stadium.

The Freedom got to Austin Dubsky early, as back-to-back leadoff doubles plated the game's first run in the first inning. Florence added on a run in the second on a solo home run by Connor Crane, then scored two more on successive RBI singles in the third to go up 4-0.

The Miners answered back in the top of the fourth when, with runners at second and third base and two outs, Chris Iriart doubled off the base of the left field wall to cut the deficit to 4-2. The Freedom got an additional run in the bottom of the inning, but Dubsky held the line from there at 5-2, and after neither team scored in the fifth inning, the Miners pounced in the sixth against Florence starter Scott Sebald.

The first five batters of the inning all reached base safely, as Andy Cosgrove and Kyle Davis singled and Iriart walked to load the bases with no one out for Brett Siddall, who also drew a walk to force in a run and make it 5-3. Joe Moran was then hit by a pitch to make it 5-4, chasing Sebald from the game. After Bryant Flete reached on a fielder's choice against reliever Brian McKenna, Joe Duncan came up clutch with a go-ahead, two-run single, putting Southern Illinois in front for the first time at 6-5.

The bullpen held the lead in the next two innings, and after Duncan doubled in the eighth, with two outs, Stephen Lohr rapped an RBI double down the left field line to increase the advantage to 7-5. But after a leadoff hit batter in the bottom half, with two outs, Jackson Pritchard's two-run home run off Gabe Gentner tied the game at 7-7.

The Miners would get runners in scoring position in the ninth and the tenth against Jonathan Tripp (1-1), but failed to score, and after Jordan Brink (0-1) struck out the side in the bottom of the ninth, he hit the leadoff man in the tenth. After a sacrifice and an infield hit put that runner at third base with one out, Brink threw a wild pitch with Pritchard batting to end the game.

The Miners amassed 12 hits as an offense, with Duncan going 2-for-6 with a run scored and two RBIs, Iriart finishing 1-for-3 with two RBIs, Moran picking up his first two professional hits in a 2-for-4 game with an RBI, and Cosgrove tying a career-high with three hits, but it was not enough as the Miners dropped to 6-7 on the year. They will look to bounce back in the second game of the weekend series on Saturday night at 5:05 p.m., sending Ryan McAuliffe to the mound against the Freedom's Frank Valentino.

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. 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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