Miners Settle for Series Split at Gateway
July 1, 2021 - Frontier League (FL)
Southern Illinois Miners News Release
Marion, IL - The Southern Illinois Miners were swept in a doubleheader by the Gateway Grizzlies on Thursday night at GCS Credit Union Ballpark in Sauget by final scores of 5-1 and 5-2 in seven innings.
In both games, the Miners got the lead in the top of the first inning. In the first contest, a Jared Mang sacrifice fly brought in Yeltsin Gudiño and made the score 1-0. Michael Austin (1-3) then retired the first six batters he faced in the game before walking Connor Owings leading off in the bottom of the third. Two batters later, Dustin Woodcock hit a go-ahead, two-run home run over the short porch in right field, making it 2-1 Gateway.
The Miners were unable to hold the Grizzlies off the board the rest of the way, as they scored single runs in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings on another home run over the short porch in right by Jose Rosario, an RBI single by Jay Prather, and a solo shot by Chase Vallot that made it over the wall in left field, respectively.
In game two, the Miners again got in front on a bases-loaded, two-out RBI single by Ian Walters for a quick 1-0 advantage. But again, Gateway came back, scoring three in the second inning against Chase Cunningham (1-1) on another home run to right by Andres Regnault followed later in the inning by a two-run shot by Woodcock that made it over the wall in center field, staking the Grizzlies to a 3-1 lead.
In the top of the fifth inning, the Miners mounted a rally, with Marshall Rich leading off by reaching on an error and Carson Bartels drawing a walk before Gudiño doubled down the left field line to make it 3-2, and put runners on second and third base with no one out. Nolan Earley was then intentionally walked to load the bases, and Mang followed by hitting a ground ball to the drawn-in shortstop, who threw home for the force-out. But the other Miners on base failed to advance, and the Grizzlies threw to third, then second base to complete a triple play and end the inning.
Gateway then added two runs in the bottom of the frame for the final 5-2 margin, as the Miners settled for a split of the four-game series to begin their road trip.
Southern Illinois will look to get back on track over the holiday weekend when they continue their road swing at Schaumburg on Friday, July 2, at 6:30 p.m. Gunnar Kines will make the start in the series opener against fellow southpaw Andrew Dean at Wintrust Field.
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 60 players to MLB organizations in their 14 years of operation. For ticket information, contact the box office at (618) 998-8499. For additional information, visit our website at www.southernillinoisminers.com.
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