Freedom Top Miners To Take Series

The Southern Illinois Miners dropped a 7-1 decision at Rent One Park on Wednesday night to the Florence Freedom, with the visitors winning the first two games of the midweek set.

Florence scored a run in the top of the first on a bases-loaded walk by Collins Cuthrell for a 1-0 lead, but stranded the bases loaded in that inning. The Miners responded in the bottom of the frame when Craig Massey led off with a single and Nolan Earley followed with another hit off Florence starter Tony Vocca (3-1). On a wild pitch, Massey advanced to third, but Earley was put out trying to take second base. Ryan Lashley and Justin Chigbogu walked to load the bases for Billy Germaine, who hit a fly ball to center field that brought home Massey and knotted the score at 1-1.

Miners Hurler Elvin Liriano comes in and pitches 2/3 of an inning to stop the Freedom’s rally. (Southern Illinois Miners photo)

But the Freedom scored twice more off Jared Messer (0-2) in the second inning and added a run in the third inning for a 4-1 cushion. Florence kept up the offensive pressure by putting runners on base in every inning except the ninth, with Miners’ pitching keeping the game close in the earlier frames thanks to repeatedly getting out of the jams with men on base. The Freedom stranded 16 batters in the game, ten of which in the first four innings, but also added to their lead with one run in the fifth inning, two in the seventh and one in the eighth for the final margin.

Southern Illinois had opportunities to score in the fourth, when Chigbogu worked a leadoff walk and Germaine reached on a fielder’s choice and error, and in the seventh when the Miners had the bases loaded with one out, but could not push across a run either time. Massey tied his season-high with four hits in the contest, going 4-for-5 at the top of the order, but it was not enough as the Miners lost their third straight game.

The Miners will try and get back on the winning track in the series finale against the Freedom on Thursday night at 7:05 p.m.

BOX SCORE

FLORENCE FREEDOM

2B: J.Brizuela (2), C.Teykl (1). 3B: A.Godbold (2). HP: D.Fraga (1), A.Mercurio (3). RBI: D.Fraga 2 (9), A.Godbold 3 (18), J.Brizuela 2 (15), C.Cuthrell (7). SF: A.Godbold (2). CS: J.Brower (2).
SB: A.Godbold (4), A.Mercurio (8).
Team LOB: 16.

#	PITCHER	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	ERA
33	Vocca, T	6.0	5	1	1	3	5	3.47
35	Terrones, M	1.0	2	0	0	1	0	0.00
34	Doerr, K	1.0	0	0	0	0	0	0.00
1	McGrath, P	1.0	0	0	0	0	1	10.13
		9	7	1	1	4	6

SOUTHERN ILLINOIS MINERS

RBI: B.Germaine (7).
SF: B.Germaine (1).
CS: N.Earley (2).
Team LOB: 9.

#	PITCHER	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	ERA
33	Messer, J	2.2	5	4	4	4	1	7.50
40	Tinius, K	2.2	5	1	1	2	0	2.13
1	Palacios, N	1.2	3	2	2	1	1	5.79
12	DeBoo, C	0.1	0	1	1	2	0	8.31
22	Liriano, E	0.2	0	0	0	0	0	4.15
28	Werner, J	1.0	0	0	0	0	2	0.00
		9	13	8	8	9	4