Miners Sweep Doubleheader from Grizzlies
Published on June 29, 2021 under Frontier League (FL)
Southern Illinois Miners News Release
Marion, IL - The Southern Illinois Miners broke out their bats on Tuesday against the Gateway Grizzlies, getting a historic performance by Carson Bartels in an 8-0 shutout in game one of a doubleheader, followed by a 13-hit attack that included eight extra-base hits in a 9-1 game two romp, as they took both halves of the twin-bill at GCS Credit Union Ballpark in Sauget.
In the first game, which resumed in the bottom of the third inning after it was suspended due to rain last night, the Miners vaulted in front for good in the top of the fifth inning. Southern Illinois loaded the bases for Ryan Stacy, who drew a walk to force in a run and make it 1-0. Bartels then came up, and drove the ball over the fence in left field for a grand slam, with his first home run as a professional making it 5-0 Miners.
Bartels and the Miners were not done there, as they were able to add on a run in the seventh on an RBI single and two more in the top of the ninth, both also off of the bat of the rookie second baseman. His seven-RBI performance tied the second-most runs driven in for a single game in Miners history.
Meanwhile, after picking up his start from the previous night, Zac Westcott (3-1) dominated the Grizzlies on the mound, tossing seven shutout innings with no walks and five strikeouts, and recording 13 of 21 outs on ground balls as the Miners earned their fourth shutout win of the season.
In game two, Southern Illinois played long ball in the early innings against Grizzlies starter Colton Easterwood (0-3). In the second inning, John Cable took Easterwood deep to right field for his first professional home run, a two-run shot that put the Miners up 2-0. Nolan Earley would then hit a solo home run to right field in the third inning to make the score 3-0.
A Dylan Jones solo home run to center field for Gateway made the score 3-1 in the fourth, but that was all that Kaleb Schmidt (4-0) allowed in five innings, with the rookie right-hander striking out a career-high eight batters to work around seven scattered hits to earn his fourth straight win on the mound.
The Southern Illinois offense would keep on producing, using four doubles in the fifth inning alone to plate four runs, with Earley driving in two, and Cable as well as Anthony Brocato driving in one run each in the frame. The Miners then capped the scoring with two runs in the top of the sixth on RBI singles by Brocato and Ian Walters for the final margin.
Now winners of eight of their last ten games overall, the Miners will go for a third-straight win over the Grizzlies when the series resumes on Wednesday, June 30, at 6:45 p.m. Michael Austin will take the mound for the Miners against Gateway's Christian Camacho in the third game of the four-game set.
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