FL Southern Illinois Miners

Miners Move into First Place in Marathon Win at Normal

Published on June 9, 2018 under Frontier League (FL)
Southern Illinois Miners News Release


Normal, IL - The Southern Illinois Miners won their second extra inning affair in as many nights on Friday evening at The Corn Crib in Normal, topping the CornBelters 7-6 in 13 innings to win their seventh game in their last eight overall and take over first place in the Frontier League's West Division for the first time this year.

The Miners again got the scoring started on John Holland's two-run double in the top of the third inning against Normal starter Jack Landwehr for a 2-0 lead. The CornBelters would then score the next five runs in the contest, getting one back immediately in the third on Tanner Lubach's RBI single at 2-1, then tying the game on a double steal in the fifth inning at 2-2. In the sixth, they plated three more runs, all with two outs, on a two-run triple by Sammy Vega and an RBI single by Justin Fletcher to lead 5-2.

But the Miners came back instantly, as Nolan Earley doubled leading off the seventh inning, and Romeo Cortina followed with a walk. Kurt Wertz, Jr. then blasted a game-tying, three-run home run out to right field to make it a 5-5 game, and that's the way the score stayed until extra innings.

After neither team scored in the eighth, ninth, or tenth innings, the Miners took the lead in the 11th inning on an RBI single by Chance Shepard, scoring the automatic runner from third base under the International Tiebreaker to make it 6-5. The CornBelters would respond by knotting the score at 6-6 on a one-out RBI hit by Tony Holton to send the game to a 12th inning. Southern Illinois could not push across a run that frame, as after a sacrifice bunt by Luis Jean moved auto-runner Marc DiLeo to third base, Corey Dempster flew out to left field and DiLeo was doubled up at the plate to end the inning. But Normal was also held scoreless by Kyle Tinius, who pitched a 1-2-3 bottom of the 12th to send it to a 13th inning.

The Miners would break through in the 13th, as with the bases loaded and two outs, Earley hit a ground ball up the middle that deflected off the pitcher Kuehl McEachern (0-2) toward the shortstop hole. Vega picked it up and raced toward second to try for an inning-ending force-out, but Joe Dudek was called safe and Southern Illinois took a 7-6 lead. In the bottom half, Tinius (2-0) completed his third inning of work in extras by striking out the side looking with the tying run on base to end the game.

Now in first place in their division for the first time this season, Southern Illinois will look to take the series at The Corn Crib on Saturday night at 7:05 p.m., with Austin Dubsky starting the contest against Normal's Kevin Matthews.

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 9, 2018


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