Miners Score Huge Comeback Win at River City
August 21, 2015 - Frontier League (FL)
Southern Illinois Miners News Release
Marion, Ill. (August 20, 2015) - The Southern Illinois Miners led 5-0 early in the series finale on Thursday night in O'Fallon, Missouri and after seeing the River City Rascals come all the way back with eight unanswered runs, the Miners rallied for two in the eighth and two in the ninth to stun the home team by a final score of 9-8, salvaging the series finale in dramatic fashion and snapping an eight-game losing streak at T.R. Hughes Ballpark overall.
New Miners pitcher Tim Flight was sharp early, retiring the first nine batters he faced across the first three frames. He also got some early support from the Miners' offense, who plated four runs in the third. Craig Massey worked a one-out walk and three straight singles by Aaron Gates, Michael Earley and Frank Martinez plated two runs. Later in the frame, Steve Marino ripped a two-out, two-run single to left to make the score 4-0 Miners. Brian Portelli would add a solo homer in the fourth inning, his sixth of the season, to make the score 5-0 Miners.
But River City started their comeback in the bottom of the fourth, scoring two in the frame on a homer by Josh Silver to make it 5-2, then two more in the fifth and one in the sixth to tie the score at 5-5. The Rascals then plated three more runs in the seventh on a solo homer by Curran Redal and a two-run single with two outs by Hector Crespo to make the score 8-5 River City.
The Miners were not finished. Jerrud Sabourin led off with a walk and against new pitcher Zac Treece, Marino singled up the middle. After a groundout moved the runners to second and third and a popout for the second out of the inning, Niko Vasquez came up to pinch-hit and with a 2-2 count delivered an enormous two-run double to right-center field to cut the Miners' deficit to 8-7.
In the eighth, after three singles loaded the bases, Evan Mott (3-3) induced an inning-ending double-play groundout, marking the first time the Rascals did not score in an inning since the third. That set up the Miners' game-winning rally in the ninth. Gates was hit by a pitch to lead off and Earley singled on the next pitch to put runners at first and third and the tying run 90 feet away with no one out. After a groundout, an intentional walk to Sabourin by Zeb Sneed (3-3) loaded the bases. After Marino hit into a fielder's choice with the putout at home to get the Miners down to their final out, Marquis Riley came up, and after new pitcher Victor Beriguete got an 0-2 count on the recently re-signed infielder, Riley came up huge with a two-run single to right field, giving the Miners a 9-8 lead.
Eric Green came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and after walking Danny Canela with one out to put the tying run on base, Green got Zach Kometani to lift a blooper toward second that Riley let drop, eventually turning it into a game-ending, 4-6-3 double play to end the ballgame and secure his ninth save of the season.
Earley, Riley, Portelli and Marino all finished with two hits for the Miners, who beat the Rascals in O'Fallon for the first time in their last nine tries, and with Evansville dropping both halves of a doubleheader to Rockford, pulled back into a tie for first place in the overall league standings. Southern Illinois will next head to Rockford for a three-game series against the Aviators beginning on Friday night at 7:05 p.m. Jarett Miller will take the ball for the Miners in the series opener David Diaz for Rockford.
The Southern Illinois Miners are the 2014 Frontier League East Division Champions and the 2012 Frontier League Champions. 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 2007, their inaugural season. For ticket information, contact the Rent One Park box office at 618-998-8499. For any additional information, visit our website at www.southernillinoisminers.com.
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