Miners Top Freedom 4-3
Published on June 14, 2011 under Frontier League (FL)
Southern Illinois Miners News Release
MARION, Ill. - Southern Illinois squeaked by for a 4-3 win against Florence Tuesday night at Rent One Park. Miners righty David Harden walked away with the victory, after working six-plus innings of two-run ball. The Miners handed Tim Holmes his first loss of the season. The Miners offense struck early and led the entire way. Cory Cowsert and Ryan Quigley combined to work two scoreless frames before handing it over to the closer Draxton. Erik Draxton grabbed his eighth save in nine chances as he shutdown the Freedom in the ninth inning.
For the second night in a row, Florence's ninth inning rally fell short. Erik Draxton began the ninth with a 4-2 lead, looking for his eighth save of the season. After retiring Drew Rundle to begin the inning, an inside pitch grazed Junior Arrojo. Following Jonathan Cisneros' single, a walk to pinch hitter Juan Valdes loaded the bases for Cole Miles. Miles hit a deep drive to right field to chase home Arrojo and cut the lead to 4-3. Draxton then struck out John Malloy looking to end the game with the tying run at second base.
David Harden was solid once again Tuesday night. He tossed six scoreless innings before leaving with the bases loaded with no one out in the seventh. Southpaw Ryan Quigley entered allowed a two-run single before retiring the next three hitters to maintain the 4-2 lead. Harden has now lasted at least five and one-third innings in each of his four starts in 2011. He is now 2-0 with a 2.31 ERA.
The Miners manufactured a run in the first inning as Eric Suttle led off with his first of two hits on the night. Suttle led off the third with another single. Following an error by Florence first baseman Mark Samuelson, Sean Coughlin and Nate Hall both delivered RBI singles. Coughlin now has a team best 18 RBIs on the year. Matt Fields also had an RBI in the game. He has 17.
With the Miners up 3-0 in the sixth, Ken Gregory reached on an error. Cannon Lester drove him home with a two-out double to extend the lead to 4-0.
Cory Cowsert struck out the side in a perfect eight inning. With the three punchouts, Cowsert moved his team-high strikeout total to 22 in just 16 and a third innings.
Holmes entered Tuesday's game with a league best 1.00 ERA, but left the game with his first loss of the 2011 campaign. The righty allowed four runs off seven Miners hits. He struck out one and walked one after seven innings as his record dropped to 2-1.
Wednesday the Miners will have righty Ryan Zink (2-0, 2.05) on the mound looking for the sweep. He will oppose Florence lefty Anthony Bello (0-1, 11.25) for a 7:05 p.m. first pitch from Rent One Park. It will be Teacher Appreciation Night. Southern Illinois will be seeking its sixth straight win.
Frontier League Stories from June 14, 2011
- Grizzlies Edged by CornBelters in 11 - Gateway Grizzlies
- Slammers Go Extra Mile, Beat the Wild Things - Joliet Slammers
- Rockford Rally Falls Short In 10-8 Loss - Rockford RiverHawks
- Big Rockford Seventh not Enough to Tip ThunderBolts - Windy City ThunderBolts
- Wild Things Fall in Extras at the Hands of Flores' Sac Fly - Washington Wild Things
- Late Home Run Propels Rascals To 3-2 Win - Evansville Otters
- CornBelters fight back for 11-inning win over Grizzlies - Normal CornBelters
- Rascals Win Third Straight on Sawyer Home Run - River City Rascals
- Miners Top Freedom 4-3 - Southern Illinois Miners
- Late-Inning Rally Falls Short in Freedom's 4-3 Loss - Florence Y'alls
- Crushers lose sixth in a row - Lake Erie Crushers
- Sixth Inning Surge Helps Beach Bums Win - Traverse City Beach Bums
- Pitcher Vidal Nuno Signed by New York Yankees Organization - Washington Wild Things
- June 14 Joliet Slammers Game Notes - Joliet Slammers
- RiverHawks Closing in on Millionth Fan - Rockford RiverHawks
- Evansville Otters Make Five New Additons - Evansville Otters
- Beach Bums Add Three - Traverse City Beach Bums
- Pitching Leads Beach Bums in 7-1 Win - Traverse City Beach Bums
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