Miners Walk Off Again to Complete Comeback over Freedom
August 25, 2016 - Frontier League (FL)
Southern Illinois Miners News Release
Marion, Ill. - The Southern Illinois Miners trailed 5-0 in the first and 6-0 after an RBI single by former Miner Jordan Brower in the fifth, but came all the way back to tie the game with a wacky, five-run sixth inning and then win it in the ninth on Steve Marino's walk-off single to left by a final score of 7-6 on Thursday night at Rent One Park. In the process, they took the series two games to one, and lowered their magic number to clinch the West Division title down to just one.
Florence leapt out in front with a five-run first inning against Dyllon Nuernberg, sending ten batters to the plate, with three of the runs earned due to a throwing error, putting the Miners behind from the beginning. After Nuernberg settled in and held Florence without a run for the next three frames, a two-out single by Brower in the top of the fifth gave the Freedom a 6-0 lead.
But the Miners responded with a clutch, two-out RBI hit of their own off the bat of Craig Massey in the same inning to make the score 6-1. In the bottom of the sixth, chaos ensued after Nolan Earley doubled, Marino was hit by a pitch and Riley Moore walked to load the bases with no one out. Pinch-hitter Willi Martin hit a grounder to shortstop and Travis Weaver threw wide to second base, bringing home two runs to make it 6-3. But an error on the same play trying to nab Martin off first base by Daniel Fraga got by Brower at first and sailed into the Miners' dugout, allowing Moore to score a third run and Martin to go to third base, as the score was 6-4.
Aaron Gates brought pinch-runner Francisco Rosario home on a groundout for the second out of the frame to pull the Miners within 6-5, but they were not done there. Shane Kennedy coaxed a walk from Florence starter Cody Gray, and after stealing second base, he came home with they tying run on another single by Massey.
With the score knotted at 6-6, both bullpens held the fort from there until the ninth, when after Adam Lopez (3-0) worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the top half, Massey led off with a walk and stole second base. A wild pitch on ball four to Earley from T.J. Bozeman (1-3) moved Massey to third before Marino lined a single over the left fielder's head to end the game and complete the comeback.
With their magic number at one, one more victory will clinch the Miners' third division title in a row, as they head to Evansville for a three-game weekend series beginning on Friday night at 6:35 p.m.
The Southern Illinois Miners are the back-to-back Frontier League East Division Champions and the 2012 Frontier League Champions. 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 2007, their inaugural season. For ticket information, 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 August 25, 2016
- Miners Walk Off Again to Complete Comeback over Freedom - Southern Illinois Miners
- Freedom Drop Finale with Miners - Florence Y'alls
- Gateway Pitching Struggles in Loss to Rascals - Gateway Grizzlies
- Boomers Blown out in Series Finale - Schaumburg Boomers
- ThunderBolts Snap Losing Skid in Doubleheader Split - Windy City ThunderBolts
- Otters Struggle in the Fourth - Evansville Otters
- CornBelters Pitch and Hit to Victory at Evansville - Normal CornBelters
- Ludwig and Martinez Pave the Way for Seventh Straight Win - River City Rascals
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