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MARION, IL – Miguel Ramirez allowed just three hits and struck out ten ThunderBolts over 7.2 innings, sending the Bolts to their fourth straight loss, 4-2 at Rent One Park Thursday night.

Neither the ThunderBolts nor the Southern Illinois Miners had a hit in the first two innings, but the Miners had five baserunners on walks. They would not score, leaving the bases loaded in the first. The Bolts ended up with the first hit, a Garrett Carey double in the third, but it was the Miners scoring first, collecting three two-out hits in the bottom of the third inning. Steve Marino’s RBI single made it 1-0.

They added two runs to their lead in the fourth. Matt Jones led off with a single and scored on a Ryan Cavan base hit. Cavan was brought in on a Frank Martinez single.

Following the Carey double, Ramirez retired 12 straight Windy City hitters. He set down 19 of the first 20 overall before walking Kyle Robinson in the seventh.

The ThunderBolts didn’t find their first run until the eighth inning. Max White singled and Michael Allen, who was just signed on Wednesday, hit his first professional home run to cut the Southern Illinois lead to 3-2.

The Miners got insurance from a Matt Jones home run in the eighth, making the score 4-2. Derrick Miramontes shut down the ThunderBolts in the ninth, keeping the score there.

Ramirez (7-4) picked up the win and Hein Robb (0-1), in his ThunderBolts’ debut, allowed three runs on five hits and six walks over 3.2 innings for the loss. Miramontes notched his 16^th save.

The ThunderBolts will try to avoid the sweep at Southern Illinois on Friday night. Daniel Cropper (6-6, 4.48) will get the start for the Bolts against Southern Illinois’s Matt Bywater (6-3, 2.41). First pitch from Rent One Park is scheduled for 7:05 and the broadcast can be heard on WXAV 88.3 FM and wxav.com.

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