From the Southern Illinois Miners
MARION, IL – The Southern Illinois Miners beat the Gateway Grizzlies 6-0 at Rent One Park on Wednesday night in the second game of a doubleheader, earning a split of the two games after the Grizzlies rallied late to win 3-2 in the first game.
Miners 2B Brett Wiley picked up four hits for the Miners in last night’s DH (SI Miners photo)
In the second contest, the Miners jumped in front 1-0 in the first inning against Gateway starter Will Landsheft (4-8) by loading the bases on walks with no one out before a sacrifice fly by former Grizzlie Craig Massoni put the Miners ahead. Southern Illinois then touched up Landsheft by scoring five runs in the bottom of the third inning with two outs. With the bases loaded after an infield hit by Ryan Sluder and two walks, a wild pitch by Landsheft scored Sluder from third base to make it 2-0. Brett Wiley then singled into left field to plate the other two Miners on base and extend the lead to 4-0. The next batter was Ryan Lashley, and he followed by drilling a two-run home run to left-center field to give Southern Illinois a 6-0 lead.
That was all Tyler Stubblefield (6-2) needed, as the southpaw pitched five shutout innings while allowing just one walk and one hit, striking out four to earn the victory. Austin Dubsky and Tre Hobbs each also pitched a scoreless inning to finish the contest as the Miners earned their sixth shutout win of the season.
In the first game, the Miners also scored first on a sacrifice fly, this time in the second inning by James Alfonso, to take a 1-0 lead. Gateway would tie the score at 1-1 in the fourth on an RBI single by former Miner Joel McKeithan to plate Matt Hearn, who had reached on an error, for an unearned run against starter Matt Parish. That would be the only run Parish allowed in six innings of work in the contest, and the Miners got the lead back in the fifth inning on Sluder’s first professional homer, a solo shot to left-center, for a 2-1 lead.
The Miners held that lead until the seventh inning, when the Grizzlies mounted a comeback against John Werner. After a leadoff walk, single and sacrifice bunt put runners at second and third base with one out, Werner (3-1) struck out Chase Simmons for the second out, but then allowed a single by Hearn that scored both baserunners and put the visitors in front. Vincent Molesky (5-5) then finished off a complete game by retiring the side in order in the bottom of the frame as Gateway took game one.
The Miners and Grizzlies will decide the series in a rubber match on Thursday night at 7:05 p.m. Zach Cooper will take the hill for the Miners and Will Anderson will counter for Gateway.
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.
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