Miners 4 Bolts 2
CRESTWOOD, IL – The Southern Illinois Miners scored four runs in the seventh inning to hand the ThunderBolts their first loss in a week, 4-1 at Standard Bank Stadium Thursday night.
It was a pitchers’ duel earlier as Josh Kimborowicz of the Miners (9-8) struck out the side in the first inning and Clay Chapman of the ThunderBolts (14-4) retired the first nine men that he faced.
Chapman would not allow a hit until the fifth inning and Kimborowicz would finish with a career-high 11 strikeouts.
Both pitchers cruised into the sixth with shutouts before the Bolts finally struck first. Tim Zier led off with a single and stole second base. An errant throw from catcher Riley Moore allowed Zier to go all the way to third. He would score on a Reggie Lawson sacrifice fly.
Southern Illinois answered immediately, loading the bases with no outs on two singles and a walk. Chapman departed and Brian Loconsole got Steve Marino to fly out. He walked Jordan Brower, though, on four pitches, forcing in the tying run. After Francisco Rosario struck out for the second out, Moore knocked home the go-ahead runs on a two-run single. Craig Massey’s base hit added some Southern Illinois insurance, making it 4-1.
The ThunderBolts got back on the board in the eighth as Coco Johnson singled, stole second and scored on a Blair Beck base hit.
Twice over the final two frames, the Bolts brought the tying run to the plate but both times, reliever Jake Cose forced a double play.
Kimborowicz (3-0) allowed one earned run in 7.1 innings for the win and Chapman (1-1) was charged with three runs in six innings and took the loss.
The ThunderBolts head to Normal to begin a six-game road trip on Friday. Game one of a three-game series will see Jake Fisher (2-0, 2.11) make his fourth start for Windy City against the CornBelters’ Matthew Chavarria (0-1, 2.57). First pitch from The Corn Crib is scheduled for 6:35 and the broadcast can be heard on WXAV 88.3 FM and wxav.com.
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