Miners Rally Back, Hold On For Victory Over Normal
August 30, 2014 - Frontier League (FL)
Southern Illinois Miners News Release
Marion, Ill. - The Southern Illinois Miners rallied back from a 4-2 deficit with a four-run third inning that stood up in a 7-5 win over the Normal CornBelters on Saturday night at Rent One Park in Marion, claiming the series win by taking the first two games of the weekend from the visitors.
Initially, it was Southern Illinois that took the early lead for the first time in four games, as Ryan Cavan walked with one out and Niko Vasquez singled setting up an RBI single by Frank Martinez that made it 1-0 Miners. Aaron Gates then drove in Vasquez with a groundout to make it 2-0.
Normal would rally in the third, as Pat McKenna hit a two-run home run and the CornBelters recorded three two-out hits in a row later in the inning, culminating in a two-run double by Richard Lucas for a 4-2 Normal lead. But the Miners would not be done yet.
In the bottom of the third, Cavan again walked with one out before an error on Lucas allowed Vasquez to reach. Martinez then drove home Cavan with an RBI single to make it 4-3. After a popout for the second out, Chris Burke extended the inning with a walk to load the bases. Marquis Riley then lined a base hit to left-center field, which ended up plating all three baserunners for a three-run double that gave Southern Illinois the lead again at 6-4.
Normal would score one in the fifth and get the tying run to third base on the same play, but Hunter Ackerman (5-3) got Lucas to fly out to end the threat. In the eighth, after Burke led off with a walk, a Matt Jones sacrifice fly following a bunt and a single by Steve Marino made it 7-5. Derrick Miramontes then came on and struck out two batters in the ninth to earn his 20th save, as Southern Illinois improved to 20 games over the .500 mark and pulled back into a tie for first place in the East division.
Southern Illinois will go for the sweep on Sunday in their final regular season home game at 5:05 p.m. against the CornBelters. Michael Carden will get the ball for the Miners against Normal's Bobby Shore.
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