Miners Score Comeback Win over Otters
Published on June 13, 2015 under Frontier League (FL)
Southern Illinois Miners News Release
Marion, Ill. - The Southern Illinois Miners trailed for most of the first part of Saturday's ballgame at Rent One Park against the Evansville Otters, but stormed back in the seventh and eighth before withstanding a rally in the ninth from the visitors and winning 4-3, clinching their fifth straight series win over Evansville in Marion in the process.
Adam Lopez returned to the Miners' rotation and pitched a quality start over six innings, allowing only four hits and striking out eight with only one walk and two runs, one of which was unearned. The Otters got in front in the first, however, as Kurt Wertz hit a solo home run over the fence in left for a 1-0 lead for Evansville. That would be extended to 2-0 when John Schultz scored when Rodney Daal reached on an error with two outs.
The Miners got on the board in the fifth against starter Efrain Nieves as Aaron Gates hit a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded to center field, making it 2-1. That would remain the score until the bottom of the seventh, when Jon Minucci launched a game-tying solo homer far over the fence in left, his first of the season, to make it 2-2.
Against reliever Connor Little (1-2), the Miners would take the lead for the first time. Michael Earley led off the inning with a double, and Jerrud Sabourin reached when Daal's throw to third was not on target, allowing Earley to sneak into the base. Two batters later, Niko Vasquez hit an RBI single to left to bring home the go-ahead run, and with two outs later in the inning, Minucci singled home another to make it 4-2.
That run would prove critical, as Evansville was able to score a run off of Will Rankin in the ninth inning, but the Miners' closer got Wertz to ground out with the tying run on third to end the ballgame and nail down his ninth save of the year. Minucci was the hitting star, going 3-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBIs, plus a home run. Eric Green (3-0) got the win in relief, striking out three in 1 1/3 flawless innings of relief.
The Miners will go for the home sweep on Sunday night at 5:05 p.m. Rick Teasley will be on the mound for Southern Illinois.
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