FL Southern Illinois Miners

Miners Split Doubleheader

May 23, 2013 - Frontier League (FL)
Southern Illinois Miners News Release


Marion, IL - The Miners and Lake Erie Crushers finally got underway on Wednesday night as the Miners would win game one of the doubleheader 7-6, but fall to the Crushers 6-3 in game two to split the double header.

In game one, the Miners sent former Chicago Cubs first round draft pick Hayden Simpson on the mound. He pitched four innings and gave up four runs off seven hits and walked one batter. The Miners would give Simpson an early 2-0 lead off Crushers starter Dave Middendorf as Phil Butler hit a one out two RBI double to score Cannon Lester and Carlos Mendez. Gerardo Avila hit a solo home run off Middendorf to extend the Miners lead 3-0.

Simpson would give up four runs in the top of the fourth inning and would hand the ball over to reliever Matt Sergey. Sergey pitched 1.1 innings and gave up one run off three hits. He walked one batter and recorded one strikeout. He gave up a run in the top of the sixth inning but that wasn't before the Miners scored one more run off Middendorf in the bottom of the fifth inning. Jason Ganek hit a sacrifice fly to tie game at 4-4.

Dayne Quist relieved Matt Sergey in the sixth inning and pitched .2 innings and allowed one unearned run to give the Crushers a 6-4 lead heading into the bottom of the sixth inning. Cannon Lester scored on an error by Crushers short stop Juan Sanchez to cut the Crushers lead to 6-5 but the ultimate blow for the Crushers came when catcher Phil Butler hit a two run home run off Crushers reliever Jordan Wellander to give the Miners a 7-6 lead. Brandon Cunniff closed out the game to earn his third save of the season.

Game Two would see the pitching matchup of Cody Hall for the Miners against left handed pitcher Trevor Longfellow. Hall struggled as he gave up six runs of ten hits with two walks and three strikeouts to earn his first loss in 2013.

The Miners took an early 2-0 lead as Carlos Mendez hit a two RBI double to score center fielder Tyler Hall and left fielder Gerardo Avila. Lake Erie scored a run in the top of the third inning to cut the Miners lead to 2-1. The Crushers would take the lead in the top of the fourth inning off Hall as they scored two runs and added three more in the top of the fifth to take a 6-2 lead. Hall would hand the ball over to Matt Royal in fourth inning as he would finish the game. Royal threw four innings of scoreless baseball, allowing one hit with one walk and two strikeouts. Left fielder Gerardo Avila hit a base hit with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning to cut the Crushers lead to 6-3.

The Southern Illinois Miners are the 2012 Frontier League Champions and have been awarded the Frontier League Organization of the Year three times since its inception. It has also set a new Frontier League attendance record in 2007. For media inquiries concerning the Miners, please contact Mike Ventola, Director of Media Relations 618-998-8499 ext. 8547 or mikev@southernillinoisminers.com. For ticket information please 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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Frontier League Stories from May 23, 2013


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