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The Southern Illinois Miners rebounded from a tough 5-4 loss in 10 innings in game one to rip off nine runs on 13 hits in game two, both season-best marks, in beating the Windy City Thunderbolts in seven innings at Standard Bank Stadium in Crestwood.
Game one was suspended in the third inning on Tuesday night due to rain with the Miners up 3-0, and was resumed on Wednesday at that point. Leading 4-0 after the top of the seventh, Windy City scored four in the bottom half to tie the game before it went into bonus frames. The Thunderbolts ended up winning in the 10th inning.
In Game 2, the Miners struck for three runs in the second to take the lead once again. Matt Howard led off the inning with a double, which was followed by a single, then an RBI fielder’s choice by Steve Marino to put the Miners on top. RBI later in the inning by Tyler Booth and Jon Eisen put the visitors up 3-0.
After Windy City scored one run in the bottom of the inning, Aaron Gates would blast a two-run homer down the right field line to make it 5-1 Miners. Southern Illinois would tack on even more, scoring three more in the fourth on RBI singles by Eisen and Phil Butler, plus a sacrifice fly by Chris Burke to make the score 8-1.
Another run in the fifth made it 9-1 Miners before the home team scored four late runs.
Every single player except one in the Miners’ lineup had at least one hit, with four players putting up multi-hit games. Gates led the charge with a 3-for-3 night, scoring and driving in two runs apiece. Two other Miners also registered multiple RBI in the game.
The Miners will play the Thunderbolts in the rubber match of the three-game series on Thursday morning at 10:35 a.m. Rick Teasley will throw for Southern Illinois, while Jake Fisher will start for Windy City.
