Stubblefield Dominates As Miners Top CornBelters, Take Series

From the Southern Illinois Miners

MARION, IL – The Southern Illinois Miners got a phenomenal start from left-hander Tyler Stubblefield and a three-run rally in the bottom of the fifth to beat the Normal CornBelters 3-1 at Rent One Park on Saturday night, clinching a series victory at home with their fifth-straight home win and 10th win in their last 14 games overall.

Miners lefty Tyler Stubblefield works seven strong innings to pick up the victory for the Miners. (Southern Illinois Miners photo)

The game began with both Stubblefield (3-1) and Normal’s Julio Vivas (3-4) dominating against the opposing offenses on the hill. The Miners got just four baserunners in the first four innings against Vivas on three singles and a walk, while Stubblefield allowed just two walks and one batter reaching base on an error without permitting a hit in his first four innings of work. After Miguel Torres doubled inside third base to lead off the fifth inning with Normal’s first hit, Stubblefield held the CornBelters off the board, and the Miners’ offense went to work in the bottom half.

Ben Moore led off with an infield single and Ryan Sluder followed with a walk. A fielder’s choice by Craig Massey put men at first and third base with one out, and Ryan Lashley‘s RBI single put the first run on the board and made it 1-0 Southern Illinois. After a fielder’s choice for the second out, Craig Massoni walked to load the bases, and Nolan Earley worked an eight-pitch at-bat against Vivas before lifting a two-run single into right-center field for a 3-0 lead.

Earley’s blow would end up being the deciding one in the game, as Stubblefield cruised along until a leadoff solo homer by Brian Hakes made the score 3-1 in the top of the eighth inning. After a single by Santiago Chirino with one out, Kyle Tinius came on and got the final two outs in the frame to hold the lead, and John Werner needed only five pitches to work a scoreless ninth inning to earn his ninth save and secure the win for Southern Illinois.

Southern Illinois received a balanced effort offensively, with seven of the nine batters in the order recording a hit. Massey finished 2-for-5, while Earley went 1-for-3 with two RBIs, extending a hitting streak to seven games in a row to lead the charge. Stubblefield finished with one run allowed on four hits in seven and one-third innings, striking out five and walking two to get his third straight win.

The Miners will look to sweep the CornBelters in their final home contest before the all-star break on Sunday night at 7:05 p.m. A starter to be named will pitch for the Miners, while Normal will counter with right-hander Charlie Gillies.

The Southern Illinois Miners are the 2016 Frontier League West Division Champions, the 2014 and 2015 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.

Box Score

Batting Stats

Batting
2B: J.Solorzano (6), M.Torres (7).  HR: B.Hakes (2).  RBI: B.Hakes (5).
Team LOB: 6.

Fielding  A: Y.Ruiz (34), S.Chirino 2 (132), A.Dudley 3 (32), J.De Marte (1).  PO: Y.Ruiz (14), S.Chirino 3 (70), A.Dudley 4 (355), J.Solorzano 2 (17), M.Torres 3 (29), J.Middleton 2 (27), F.Carillo 7 (8), B.Hakes 2 (58).
SBA: F.Carillo 2 (2).  TC: Y.Ruiz 2 (51), S.Chirino 5 (209), A.Dudley 7 (394), J.Solorzano 2 (20), M.Torres 3 (101), J.Middleton 2 (29), F.Carillo 7 (11), B.Hakes 2 (61), J.De Marte (1).

Batting
RBI: R.Lashley (33), N.Earley 2 (18).
SB: N.Earley (1), R.Sluder (1).
Team LOB: 11.

Fielding
A: C.Massey 3 (100), R.Lashley 2 (54), B.Wiley (29), T.Stubblefield 2 (7).
E: R.Lashley (10).  PO: C.Massey 2 (76), B.Wiley 2 (21), C.Massoni 7 (42), N.Earley 4 (69), K.Wertz Jr. 4 (23), B.Moore 6 (242), R.Sluder 2 (11).
TC: C.Massey 5 (178), R.Lashley 3 (79), B.Wiley 3 (57), C.Massoni 7 (45), N.Earley 4 (73), K.Wertz Jr. 4 (25), B.Moore 6 (257), R.Sluder 2 (11), T.Stubblefield 2 (8).

Pitching Stats

Normal
#	Pitcher	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	ERA
23	Vivas, J	6.0	6	3	3	4	7	3.69
26	De Marte, J	2.0	2	0	0	2	2	1.50
		8	8	3	3	6	9

Pitching
BF: J.Vivas 28, J.De Marte 10.  P-S: J.Vivas 111-65, J.De Marte 41-22.
WP: J.Vivas (1).

S Illinois
#	Pitcher	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	ERA
38	Stubblefield, T	7.1	4	1	1	2	5	3.66
40	Tinius, K	0.2	0	0	0	0	1	2.46
28	Werner, J	1.0	1	0	0	0	0	2.49
		9	5	1	1	2	6

Pitching
BF: T.Stubblefield 29, K.Tinius 2, J.Werner 3.
P-S: T.Stubblefield 103-76, K.Tinius 8-6, J.Werner 5-5.

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