FL Southern Illinois Miners

Miners Lose Heartbreaker in Evansville

June 23, 2018 - Frontier League (FL)
Southern Illinois Miners News Release


Evansville, IN - The Southern Illinois Miners had a 4-0 lead heading into the fifth inning, and also a 6-5 lead in the eighth, but could not hold either advantage as late mistakes cost them in an 8-6 loss to the Evansville Otters at Bosse Field on Saturday night.

The Miners got started quickly, scoring three runs in the top of the first inning on an RBI single by Marc DiLeo, a grounder to shortstop by Harrison Bragg that was booted for an error with the bases loaded, and a sacrifice fly by Nolan Earley for a quick multi-run lead against Otters starter Tyler Vail. Joe Dudek took Vail out of the park in the top of the third, hitting his seventh homer of the season out to left field to make it 4-0 Miners.

Starter Steven Ridings, making his Southern Illinois debut, was brilliant in the first four innings, allowing just two baserunners with four strikeouts, but the Otters sent eight batters to the plate and tied the score at 4-4 on Toby Thomas' sacrifice fly. The score stayed 4-4 until the bottom of the seventh, when the Otters got an unearned run to take the lead, as after Patrick Duester walked Manny Cruz, with two outs after a pitching change, a two-base throwing error by Kyle Tinius moved Cruz to third base. Thomas followed with an infield hit that made the score 5-4.

It would not stay that way for long, as on the first pitch of the next half inning, Chance Shepard blasted his Frontier League-best 12th homer of the year to straightaway center field to tie the game at 5-5. Later in the inning, with a runner at second base and two outs, Ben Moore came through with an RBI double down the left field line to make it 6-5 Miners.

But after Michael Starcevich got the first two outs of the bottom of the eighth with a man at first base, Joe DeLuca worked a walk, and Cruz singled to right field, bringing in the tying run. A throwing error on Shepard trying to nab DeLuca sliding into third base then allowed the go-ahead run to score, and David Cronin followed with an RBI single of his own to make it 8-6 Otters. In the top of the ninth, with two outs, Shepard singled and Chris Scura worked a walk to put the tying run on first base, but Mitchell Aker struck out Bragg looking to end the game, sending the Miners to their eighth loss in their last ten games.

Shepard led the charge offensively for the Miners, going 3-for-5 with his homer, two runs scored and one RBI, but it was not enough as the Otters claimed the series by winning the first two games. Southern Illinois will look to avoid a sweep on Sunday at 5:05 p.m., sending Austin Dubsky to the mound against the Otters' Austin Nicely.

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 23, 2018


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