Miners Win Fifth Straight, Sweep Grizzlies with Late Push
June 9, 2016 - Frontier League (FL)
Southern Illinois Miners News Release
Marion, Ill. - The Southern Illinois Miners won for the fifth straight game on Thursday night, scoring three runs in the eighth off the Gateway Grizzlies' bullpen to sweep the road series at GCS Ballpark in Sauget by the final score of 4-1. It was also the team's sixth win in their last seven games overall.
Gateway would take the early lead in the second inning after Jarett Miller got out of a jam in the first. After a leadoff walk to Tyler Tewell, Steve Pascual hit a two-out RBI single up the middle for a 1-0 Grizzlies advantage. After Gateway left-hander Corey Kimes allowed just one baserunner in his first three innings of work, Southern Illinois would tie the score in the fourth inning.
Julius Gaines led off the frame with a double inside first and two batters later was driven home on an RBI single by Alex De Leon to knot the score at 1-1. Thanks to both Kimes and Miller, that's the way the score remained through the seventh, with Miller working out of jams with men on base all game long. The right-hander was stingy when it mattered most- in the sixth inning, Gateway got men on at second and third with one out before Miller struck out Sam Fischer and got Pascual to fly out to preserve the tie.
In the seventh inning, Gateway used a single, bunt single and a hit-by-pitch to load the bases with nobody out. But again, Miller (1-2) persevered, fanning both Vin Guglietti and Blake Brown before getting Tewell to line out to a leaping shortstop Francisco Rosario to wiggle out of his biggest jam of the night. Southern Illinois then responded against reliever Trevor Richards (1-3) in the eighth. Aaron Gates led off with a walk and Gaines sacrificed him to second. A passed ball moved Gates to third and after the Grizzlies intentionally walked Craig Massey, De Leon delivered a go-ahead sacrifice fly to make it 2-1 Miners.
But the inning continued when two batters later, with men on first and second and two outs, Steve Marino lifted a ball past the mound that was booted by the shortstop, allowing a third run to score. Johnny Cole then grounded a single up the middle to make it 4-1 before Evan Mott and Jake Cose shut the door in the eighth and ninth, with Cose converting his fifth straight save.
The Miners continue their road trip on Friday night, heading to CarShield Field in O'Fallon to take on the River City Rascals at 6:35 p.m. Dan Ludwig will get the start for Southern Illinois in the opener of a four-game series.
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 June 9, 2016
- Kimes Throws Gem as Grizzlies Fall to Miners - Gateway Grizzlies
- Miners Win Fifth Straight, Sweep Grizzlies with Late Push - Southern Illinois Miners
- Rascals Sweep Freedom and Remain in First Place - River City Rascals
- Slammers Have Win Streak Snapped with Loss to Crushers - Joliet Slammers
- Two big frames help Crushers snap four-game slide - Lake Erie Crushers
- Big Inning Gives Rascals a Sweep - Florence Y'alls
- Otters Outlast CornBelters - Evansville Otters
- Bums Drop Pitchers Duel vs. Schaumburg - Traverse City Beach Bums
- CornBelters Fall in Pitcher's Duel at Evansville - Normal CornBelters
- Ninth Inning Run Propels Boomers to Series Win - Schaumburg Boomers
- Washingoton's 9th Inning Comeback Falls Short - Washington Wild Things
- ThunderBolts Take Series in Washington - Windy City ThunderBolts
- Boomers Announce Jewel-Osco Partnership, Summer Food Drives - Schaumburg Boomers
- Another Walk-Off Win for Otters - Evansville Otters
- CornBelters Split Doubleheader at Evansville - Normal CornBelters
- Colon Homers Twice and Plates Eight in 19-4 Rascals Win - River City Rascals
- Crushers fall to Slammers - Lake Erie Crushers
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