FL Southern Illinois Miners

Miners Outlast Lake Erie in Home Run Derby

June 4, 2021 - Frontier League (FL)
Southern Illinois Miners News Release


Marion, IL - The Southern Illinois Miners rallied back from down 4-1 in the seventh inning to tie their game on Friday night against the Lake Erie Crushers at Rent One Park, then came back from down two runs in the tenth inning to force a home run derby to decide the game. In the end, Luke Mangieri and Nolan Earley combined to out-slug the visitors 4-2, clinching the win for the Miners in the series opener.

For the second time on the home stand, the Miners were able to take an early lead in the first inning. Mangieri walked with two outs, and Earley followed with a double, giving the Miners a 1-0 lead. That lead would not last long, as Lake Erie scored their first run in the second inning when Gunnar Kines hit Steve Passatempo with a pitch with the bases loaded, tying the game at 1-1.

The Crushers would take the lead in the middle innings thanks to Southern Illinois defensive miscues that led to three unearned runs. Two more hit batters in the fourth inning, along with two errors from the Miners defense, allowed two more runs to cross the plate for Lake Erie, making the score 3-1. In the sixth, after an error began the frame, an RBI infield single from Steven Kraft extended the Crushers' lead to 4-1.

After starter Sean Johnson pitched the first six innings, allowing just one run while striking out eight, the Miners struck back against the Lake Erie bullpen. With the bases loaded on walks and one out in the bottom of the seventh, Anthony Brocato came up clutch with an RBI single to make it 4-2. Ian Walters would follow with an sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Mangieri and making the score 4-3.

Then, in the eighth, Marshall Rich walked to put the tying run on base, and with two outs, Yeltsin Gudiño doubled down the left field line, scoring Rich from first base and knotting the score at 4-4. Neither side would score in the ninth inning, as the Crushers' Aaron Glickstein and the Miners' Ryan Miller sent the game to extra innings. In the tenth, with the international tiebreaker in effect, Lake Erie was able to push across two runs on an RBI single by Brody Wofford and a sacrifice fly by Shawon Dunston, Jr., taking a 6-4 lead into the bottom of the frame.

But the Miners would come back yet again. Jared Mang drew a one-out, pinch-hit walk, and then was safe at second on a fielder's choice by Jarrod Watkins, loading the bases. After a pop-out, and with the Miners down to their final strike, Mangieri drew a walk to make it 6-5 Lake Erie, and Earley followed with an RBI single that tied the game at 6-6. It nearly won the game as well, but Watkins was thrown out at home, sending the four-hour-plus contest to the home run derby, where Southern Illinois finally won the contest to kick off their weekend set against the Crushers.

The Miners will look to take the series from Lake Erie when the teams meet in the middle game of the series on Saturday, June 5, at 6:05 p.m. Chase Cunningham will pitch for the Miners against the Crushers' Paul Hall, Jr., with the Miners retiring former all-star third baseman Steve Marino's jersey number before the game.

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. In addition, they have sent 59 players to MLB organizations in their 13 years of operation. For ticket information, contact the box office at (618) 998-8499. For additional information, visit our website at www.southernillinoisminers.com.




Frontier League Stories from June 4, 2021


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