Miners Win Derby to Sweep Gateway
Published on September 5, 2021 under Frontier League (FL)
Gateway Grizzlies News Release
Sauget, IL - Southern Illinois sweeps the double header and series with Gateway in the final home games for the Grizzlies this season.
GAME ONE
Ryan Mordecai was able to retire the first two Miners he faced in order in the top of the first inning, then the rally started. Ariel Sandoval doubled and Jamey Smart walked with two outs before Anthony Brocato drilled his second home run of the series to make it 3-0.
Jack Harris hit his sixth home run in eight home games in the bottom of the first. It came with two outs and no one on to pull the Grizzlies within two at 3-1.
It was more two-out damage for Southern Illinois in the second inning with an RBI single from Jared Mang that scored Ian Walters making the score 4-1 Miners. Southern Illinois wasn't done yet, Jarrod Watkins capped the inning off with a three-run homer to make it 7-1.
The Miners scored three more with a home run from Ian Walters in the fourth inning, all three of the three-run home runs for Southern Illinois came with two outs, to push the lead to 10-1.
Jack Harris hit his second home run of the game to lead-off the bottom of the fourth inning. Jose Rosario followed that up with a single, then Dustin Woodcock hit a mammoth home run to right field that cleared the entire ballpark making the score 10-4 Miners.
Four hit-by-pitches helped Gateway plate four more in the sixth inning to pull within two at 10-8.
Augie Voight picked up the save striking out the side in the seventh inning to secure the front-end of the double header for Southern Illinois.
GAME TWO
Southern Illinois got things started right away with a lead-off home run from Bryant Flete to make it 1-0 after the top of the first inning.
The Grizzlies answered right back with a two-run homer from Jose Rosario and an RBI single from Alonzo Jones to take a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the first inning.
Connor Owings led the bottom of the second inning off with a home run of his own to make it a 4-1 Gateway lead.
Gateway picked up another run in the fourth inning courtesy of an RBI double from Abdiel Diaz that scored Alonzo Jones pushing the lead to 5-1.
Southern Illinois erased that lead quickly in the top of the fifth inning with the help of a bases clearing double from Flete, then a two-run homer from Jared Mang that gave the Miners a 7-5 lead.
Connor Owings tied the game with a clutch two-run homer, his second of the game, in the bottom of the sixth inning to knot it at seven runs apiece.
Neither team could score in the extra eighth inning, so the game went to a home run derby. Nolan Earley blasted three of the four Southern Illinois home runs as the Miners took it 4-3 in the derby.
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