Miners Use Big Inning to Top Freedom, Win Fifth Straight
June 5, 2018 - Frontier League (FL)
Southern Illinois Miners News Release
Marion, IL - The Southern Illinois Miners broke open a 2-0 ballgame in the top of the third inning, scoring 11 times in the frame to push the lead out to 13-0, and cruised from there to their fifth consecutive win by a final score of 15-6 over the Florence Freedom on Tuesday night at UC Health Stadium.
The Miners scored two runs to open the scoring in the top of the second inning, loading the bases with two outs for Marc DiLeo, who doubled down the right field line to make it 2-0. The next inning, the Miners' bats would explode. After the first batter of the inning grounded out, Chris Scura walked and Joe Dudek singled. Chance Shepard followed with an RBI single for a 3-0 lead, and Nolan Earley's double that followed made the score 4-0. The first big blow of the inning was then struck by Romeo Cortina, who blasted a three-run home run off of the scoreboard in left-center field for a 7-0 Miners advantage, chasing Florence starter Christian DeLeon (0-2) from the game.
But the Miners were far from done. A walk by Kurt Wertz, Jr. and singles by DiLeo and John Holland loaded the bases for Scura, who singled home two runs for a 9-0 lead. Dudek followed with another two-run single for an 11-0 advantage, and Shepard then crushed his Frontier League-leading eighth homer of the season to left field for a 13-0 cushion. The Miners had nine hits in the inning alone, and plated their final six runs of the frame with two outs.
Florence got five runs back in the bottom of the third inning to make it 13-5 against Miners starter Chris Washington, but would not get closer than that the rest of the way. In the sixth, the Miners added two more runs on back-to-back solo home runs from Earley and Cortina, with the latter's second of the game making it a 15-5 lead. A solo shot by Florence's Jacob Wark in the bottom of the same frame accounted for the final 15-6 margin, with Michael Starcevich and Ryan Askew finishing the game out of the bullpen.
Shepard, Earley, Cortina and DiLeo all had three hits in the game to pace a season-high 20-hit attack, with Cortina leading the charge with a pair of home runs, three runs scored and four RBIs. Scura, Dudek, Shepard and Earley also drove in and scored multiple runs in the contest, and every player in the game but one for Southern Illinois scored at least one run as the Miners won their fifth game in a row while sending the Freedom to their 10th straight defeat.
The Miners will look to keep their win streak going and also seek another series victory on Wednesday night at 5:35 p.m. at UC Health Stadium, pitting Robby Rowland against former Miners right-hander Steve Hagen.
The Southern Illinois Miners are the Frontier League's winningest 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. For ticket information, contact the box office at (618) 998-8499. For additional information, visit our website at www.siminers.com.
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