Miners Sweep Lake Erie To Finish Regular Season
Published on September 4, 2014 under Frontier League (FL)
Southern Illinois Miners News Release
MARION, ILL. (SEPTEMBER 4, 2014) - The Southern Illinois Miners took an early lead, tacked on in the middle innings, and then held on for a 6-5 victory over the Lake Erie Crushers at All Pro Freight Stadium on Thursday night, their eighth win in a row, tenth in their last 11 overall, and 60th win of the season to become the 12th team in Frontier League history with that many in a single season.
The Miners jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first, including an RBI groundout from FRANK MARTINEZ and an RBI single by Chris Burke. The game then became a pitcher's duel between Ryan Connolly (3-3) and MIGUEL RAMIREZ (10-4), as no team scored from the bottom of the first until the bottom of the fifth. Lake Erie answered in that inning with a two-run home run that made the score 3-2 in favor of the Miners.
But Southern Illinois would come right back the next half inning with a three-run rally of their own. After JAY AUSTIN led off with a pinch-hit double in the top of the sixth, Martinez singled him home to make it 4-2 and chase Connolly. After a pitching change, AARON GATES then crushed a two-run home run that stayed fair down the right field line and made the score 6-2 Miners.
That home run would eventually become the winning run. The Crushers would get another two-run homer in the sixth by Anderson Hidalgo and an RBI single in the seventh, also by Hidalgo, to cut the Miners' lead to 6-5. They would also get the tying run into scoring position in the eighth and ninth. In the eighth, MATT BYWATER struck out P.J.
Torres with that run at third base to end the frame. In the ninth, with the tying run at second and the potential winning run at first, JAMES BIERLEIN induced a game-ending double-play grounder to short to secure the sweep.
Ramirez pitched five innings to earn his tenth win of the season, as the Miners became the second team in franchise history and the 12th team in league history to finish with 60 or more wins. As East division champions, they receive a bye into the Division Series, which begins on Monday night at the road site of the highest-remaining seed after the Wild Card round is completed, with a time to be determined.
The Southern Illinois Miners are the 2012 Frontier League Champions and have been awarded the Frontier League Organization of the Year award three times since their inception. They also set a new Frontier League attendance record in 2007, their inaugural season. 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.
Frontier League Stories from September 4, 2014
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- CornBelters Battle Back But Lose in Walk-Off - Normal CornBelters
- Miners Sweep Lake Erie To Finish Regular Season - Southern Illinois Miners
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- Boomers Head into Playoffs with Walkoff Winner - Schaumburg Boomers
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- September 4 Florence Freedom Game Notes - Florence Y'alls
- Home Playoff Game on the Line for Evansville Otters on Thursday - Evansville Otters
- Display of Power Gives Aviators Double-Header Sweep - Rockford Aviators
- Miners Clinch Division Title - Southern Illinois Miners
- Delgado Strikes out 10 in 4-3 Walkoff Loss - Traverse City Beach Bums
- Miners Playoff Schedule Set - Southern Illinois Miners
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