Pinto Sets All-Time Frontier League Wins Record
June 2, 2018 - Frontier League (FL)
Southern Illinois Miners News Release
Marion, IL - The Southern Illinois Miners won their third game in a row on Saturday night in comeback fashion over the Evansville Otters by a final score of 7-5 at Rent One Park, giving manager Mike Pinto his 626th career win in the Frontier League to make him the league's all-time leader in managerial victories.
Evansville took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning against Miners starter Geno Encina, which the Miners answered in the bottom of the inning on an RBI single by Romeo Cortina to tie the score at 1-1. The Otters took the lead again with a run in the third inning, and followed that up with another unearned run in the top of the fourth to take a 3-1 lead.
Encina (1-2) held the line from there, and the Miners' offense roared back into the contest in the sixth inning against the Otters' pitching staff. With one out, Joe Dudek and Chance Shepard hit back-to-back singles. After a strikeout by Evansville starter Austin Nicely (2-1) for the second out, he hit Ben Moore with a pitch to load the bases and chase Nicely. Cortina followed against reliever Garrett Harris with an RBI infield hit to third base to make it 3-2, and Kurt Wertz, Jr. drew a pinch-hit, bases-loaded walk to tie the game at 3-3.
After the Otters again went to the bullpen, John Holland came through with a subsequent two-run single to put the Miners ahead 5-3. Encina would keep the Otters at bay, finishing six and two-thirds innings of work with two earned runs allowed and six strikeouts, and the Miners added insurance in the eighth inning when, again with two outs, Holland doubled with runners at second and third base to make it a 6-3 game. An Otters throwing error on the same play allowed another run to score and make it 7-3.
The Otters would then rally back for two runs in the ninth inning to close the gap to 7-5, but Kyle Tinius came on and struck out Travis Harrison swinging with the tying runs on base to end the game and clinch the series. Holland, Cortina, Dudek and Shepard all had two hits in the Miners' 10-hit attack offensively, as the Miners gave their manager a piece of Frontier League history. With the win, Pinto passed league hall-of-famer Fran Riordan to stand alone as the league's all-time leader in wins by a manager, with all 626 victories coming with Southern Illinois.
The Miners will look to sweep the series from the Otters at home on Sunday night at 5:05 p.m. Kurt Heyer will take the ball for Southern Illinois against Evansville's Tyler Vail.
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.
Frontier League Stories from June 2, 2018
- Late Letdown Costs Grizzlies - Gateway Grizzlies
- Early Hole Proves Too Deep for Washington Saturday - Washington Wild Things
- Pinto Sets All-Time Frontier League Wins Record - Southern Illinois Miners
- Otters Drop Second Straight to Miners - Evansville Otters
- Rascals Hand Freedom Eighth Straight Loss - Florence Y'alls
- Late Schaumburg Rally Falls Short - Schaumburg Boomers
- Pitching Wildness Results in Beach Bums Loss - Traverse City Beach Bums
- ThunderBolts Snap Skid with 7-5 Win - Windy City ThunderBolts
- Rascals Stun Freedom in Comeback Win - River City Rascals
- Scott Dunn Named to Frontier League Hall of Fame - Traverse City Beach Bums
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
