From the Southern Illinois Miners

MARION, IL The Southern Illinois Miners took an early lead on Sunday against the Normal CornBelters at Rent One Park but could not hold it as the visitors came back and piled on late to deal the home team a 7-2 loss, denying the Miners a series sweep in their final home contest before the all-star break.

After a scoreless first inning by Charlie Gillies (4-3) and Damon Proctor, with the latter making his professional debut for the Miners, Southern Illinois took the lead in the bottom of the second as Craig Massoni and Nolan Earley hit back-to-back leadoff singles. Two batters later, and RBI infield hit by Kurt Wertz, Jr. gave the Miners the initial 1-0 advantage.

Miners Hurler Jared Messer, who worked 1 1/3 scoreless innings in Relief. (Southern Illinois Miners Photo)

But Normal responded by tying the game on an unearned run that scored from third base thanks to an error with two outs in the top of the third inning by Ryan Lashley, making the score 1-1. The game would remain tied until the fifth inning, when Aaron Dudley doubled to deep left field to score both Craig Lepre and Santiago Chirino and give the CornBelters a 3-1 lead. Normal then added a run in the sixth on an RBI single by Chirino to make it 4-1, and after a scoreless sixth inning by Jared Messer, the visitors put up another run in the eighth inning for a 5-1 margin.

The Miners rallied for a run in the bottom of the eighth when Brett Wiley singled and Massoni walked against Francisco Carillo before Willi Martin reached on an error by Chrino at shortstop, bringing home Wiley when the CornBelters failed to tag him out in a rundown between third base and home plate. With the game at 5-2 Normal, and the tying run at the plate, however, the Miners failed to score again in the frame. Normal then added two more runs in the ninth inning for the final margin.

Earley went 3-for-4 in the game to lead the Miners offensively, tying his season high in hits while extending his hit streak out to eight games. Massoni finished 2-for-3 with a run scored, but it was not enough as the Miners were denied a sixth straight home win.

The Miners will head on the road next for a three-game series against the Schaumburg Boomers beginning on Monday night at 6:30 p.m. Chris Washington will pitch for Southern Illinois, while the Boomers will counter with Conrad Wozniak.

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: A.Dudley 2 (18).  HP: S.Chirino (3).
RBI: Y.Ruiz 2 (26), S.Chirino (28), A.Dudley 2 (35), M.Torres (25).
SF: Y.Ruiz (1).  SB: Y.Ruiz (16), J.Fletcher (5).
Team LOB: 13.

Fielding
A: S.Chirino 5 (137), J.Fletcher 7 (89), M.Torres 2 (68), C.Lepre (23).
DP: 3 (J. Fletcher(2B) – S. Chirino(SS) – A. Dudley(1B),J. Fletcher(2B) – M. Torres(3B) – A. Dudley(1B),J. Fletcher(2B) – S. Chirino(SS) – A. Dudley(1B)).  E: S.Chirino (8), M.Torres (7).
PO: A.Dudley 11 (366), J.Solorzano 2 (19), J.Fletcher 4 (58), D.Cedeno 2 (89), C.Lepre 8 (285).
TC: S.Chirino 6 (215), A.Dudley 11 (405), J.Solorzano 2 (22), J.Fletcher 11 (152), D.Cedeno 2 (92), M.Torres 3 (104), C.Lepre 9 (310).

Batting
2B: N.Earley (7).  RBI: K.Wertz Jr. (12).  Team LOB: 9.

Fielding
A: C.Massey 2 (102), R.Lashley 3 (57), B.Wiley 4 (33), D.Proctor 3 (3).
E: R.Lashley (11).  PB: Z.Taylor (1).
PO: C.Massey (77), R.Lashley (16), B.Wiley (22), N.Earley 2 (71), A.Critelli 12 (29), Z.Taylor 4 (33), B.Moore 2 (244), R.Sluder 4 (15).
SBA: Z.Taylor 2 (5).  TC: C.Massey 3 (181), R.Lashley 5 (84), B.Wiley 5 (62), N.Earley 2 (75), A.Critelli 12 (32), Z.Taylor 4 (36), B.Moore 2 (259), R.Sluder 4 (15), D.Proctor 3 (3).

Pitching Stats

Normal
#	Pitcher	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	ERA
44	Gillies, C	6.2	7	1	1	3	5	4.06
8	Carillo, F	1.1	1	1	0	1	2	1.50
19	Blackwell, S	1.0	0	0	0	0	1	2.23
		9	8	2	1	4	8

Pitching
BF: C.Gillies 28, F.Carillo 7, S.Blackwell 3.
P-S: C.Gillies 103-61, F.Carillo 36-21, S.Blackwell 9-8.

S Illinois
#	Pitcher	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	ERA
27	Proctor, D	5.2	4	4	3	5	3	4.76
33	Messer, J	1.1	1	0	0	0	0	6.75
1	Palacios, N	0.1	2	1	1	1	0	5.16
21	Dubsky, A	1.2	4	2	2	1	3	4.82
		9	11	7	6	7	6

Pitching
BF: D.Proctor 28, J.Messer 5, N.Palacios 4, A.Dubsky 10.
P-S: D.Proctor 106-60, J.Messer 16-10, N.Palacios 16-7, A.Dubsky 38-24

Miners Transactions

SOUTHERN ILLINOIS MINERS:  Placed RHP John Lollar on the 7-day injured list.  Signed RHP Damon Proctor.

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.

Miners Transactions