Home Baseball Miners Take Control Early, Take Series From Schaumburg

Miners Take Control Early, Take Series From Schaumburg

by Jason Guerette

Southern Illinois gets big night from Earley to help top Boomers, remain tied for first

Marion, Ill. (August 6, 2015) – The Southern Illinois Miners got a big game from right fielder Michael Earley, who finished 2-for-2 with two walks, a double and a big first-inning two-run homer that lifted the Miners to a series win over the Schaumburg Boomers with a 4-2 win in the finale of the series on Thursday night at Boomers Stadium.

The Miners got a runner on in the first, and with two outs against Boomers ace Eddie Cody (7-3), Earley struck with a two-run blast off the scoreboard in left field for a 2-0 Miners lead. It was extended to 3-0 in the sixth when Earley doubled after Niko Vasquez had singled before an RBI groundout by Jerrud Sabourin brought home the big insurance run.

That would prove to be big as the Boomers struck for both of their runs in the seventh inning to make it a one-run game at 3-2. But the Miners would answer, as with two outs in the eighth, Vasquez singled and Earley walked setting up Sabourin, who hit his second single of the game into right field for his second RBI of the contest as the Miners increased the lead to 4-2.

Meanwhile, on the mound, Jarett Miller (4-3) battled through five and two-thirds innings, allowing just four hits and walking four while striking out five and allowing no runs to earn the victory as the Miners led throughout the game. Schaumburg had baserunners on in every single inning, but the Miners were able to hold the line and the lead, and with the tying runs on base in the ninth, Eric Green induced a game-ending double-play ball to earn his seventh save in as many chances.

Now a season-best 21 games over .500 at 45-24, the Miners have won 12 straight series on the road and 17 of their last 18 away from Rent One Park dating back to last year, as well as eight straight series overall. They remained in a first-place tie with the Evansville Otters ahead of a huge three-game weekend series beginning on Friday night at 6:35 p.m. at Bosse Field against the same Otters. Rick Teasley will take the ball for the Miners in the series opener as Southern Illinois looks to claim first place in the East division standings

The Southern Illinois Miners are the 2014 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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Jason Guerette is the Grizzlies' Director of Broadcasting and Media Relations and the "Voice of the Grizzlies." 2023 will be his second season with the organization, handling lead broadcasting duties on the Grizzlies Media Network as well as being in charge of all team press releases and game-day media materials.

2023 will also be Jason's ninth season in the Frontier League after spending 2014-21 in the same role with the Southern Illinois Miners. Overall, he has broadcasted close to 800 games in the league, including playoffs. During the baseball offseason, he serves as a play-by-play broadcaster for Manhattan College and the New Jersey Institute of Technology, with games being seen on ESPN+ among other platforms.

In addition to broadcasting, Jason works as a public address announcer for Seton Hall University women's basketball as well as Columbia University men's and women's basketball. He also spent nine years working "behind the scenes" as a freelance board operator and highlight editor at Westwood One for their coverage of the NFL, NCAA football, and NCAA basketball.

Jason graduated from Seton Hall in 2012 with B.A. in Communication Studies and a minor in Broadcasting & Visual Media.

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