AVON, OH – The Southern Illinois Miners and Lake Erie Crushers were deadlocked at 1-1 through seven full innings on Tuesday night, but an unearned run scored by the Crushers in the bottom of the eighth sent the Miners to a 2-1 defeat in the series opener at Sprenger Stadium.

Lake Erie scored a run with a two-out RBI double from Sean Hurley in the first inning to take a 1-0 lead against Corey Sessions (0-4), but the Miners’ right-hander would settle down to pitch a gem, allowing just four scattered hits and one walk with four strikeouts through the first seven innings of the game in the longest outing by a Miners starter this season.

Southern Illinois would tie the score in the top of the third thanks to a two-out RBI single by Nolan Earley, one of his three hits on the night. That made the game 1-1 against Jordan Kurokawa, and the Lake Erie starter also allowed just the one tally in seven innings of work in the game as both pitchers stayed in control of the contest throughout the middle innings.

In the bottom of the eighth, however, Parker Norris led off with a pinch-hit single and moved to second on a passed ball. Josh McAdams then singled Norris to third, and when he attempted to go to second on the play, a throwing error by Ryan Lashley allowed Norris to score from third and give Lake Erie a 2-1 lead. After McAdams was thrown out by Earley trying to score on a fly ball later in the inning, the Miners loaded the bases with two outs in the ninth against Chandler Jagodzinski, but could not scratch across the tying run in the defeat.

Earley led the Miners with a 3-for-4 game that included a double, and London Lindley went 2-for-3 with a run scored. The Miners will look to even the series on Wednesday night at 6:05 p.m., with Zach Cooper pitching for Southern Illinois against Lake Erie’s Adam Quintana.

BOX SCORE

Batting
2B: N.Earley (3). HP: J.McKeithan (3). RBI: N.Earley (11). CS: L.Lindley (3). SB: L.Lindley (8).
Team LOB: 11.

Fielding:  A: C.Massey 5 (45), C.Plant 6 (14), L.Lindley (1), C.Sessions (5).  DP: 2 (L. Lindley(CF) – B. Moore(C),C. Massey(2B) – C. Plant(SS) – J. Chigbogu(1B)). E: R.Lashley (5).
PB: B.Moore (1). PO: C.Massey (27), N.Earley (34), M.Flores 2 (7), J.Chigbogu 13 (160), B.Moore 5 (117), C.Plant (6), L.Lindley (53). SBA: B.Moore (23). TC: C.Massey 6 (73), N.Earley (36), R.Lashley (39), M.Flores 2 (7), J.Chigbogu 13 (175), B.Moore 5 (120), C.Plant 7 (21), L.Lindley 2 (54), C.Sessions (7).

Batting
2B: J.Dean (3), S.Hurley (10). RBI: S.Hurley (15). SB: J.Dean (4). Team LOB: 3.

Fielding A: J.Dean 5 (59), C.Lenahan 3 (28), T.Lubach 2 (16), M.Casper 5 (39). CS: T.Lubach (1).
E: S.Hurley (1). PO: C.Oliver (39), S.Hurley (29), T.Lubach 7 (146), C.Hofmann (29), M.Casper 2 (18), J.McAdams 14 (131). SBA: T.Lubach 2 (22). TC: C.Oliver (45), J.Dean 5 (105), C.Lenahan 3 (47), S.Hurley 2 (32), T.Lubach 9 (163), C.Hofmann (35), M.Casper 7 (57), J.McAdams 14 (138).

S Illinois
#	Pitcher	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	ERA
18	Sessions, C	7.0	6	2	1	1	4	3.86
40	Tinius, K	1.0	0	0	0	0	0	1.76
		8	6	2	1	1	4

Lake Erie
#	Pitcher	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	ERA
36	Kurokawa, J	7.0	5	1	1	2	6	3.06
17	Ghidotti, K	1.0	3	0	0	0	1	12.00
29	Jagodzinski, C	1.0	1	0	0	1	0	1.00
		9	9	1	1	3	7

BF: C.Sessions 27, K.Tinius 2.
P-S: C.Sessions 87-59, K.Tinius 5-4.

BF: J.Kurokawa 27, K.Ghidotti 6, C.Jagodzinski 6.
P-S: J.Kurokawa 96-65, K.Ghidotti 27-16, C.Jagodzinski 20-10.

http://www.bnd.com/sports/mlb/st-louis-cardinals/cheap-seats-blog/article154386209.html

(Scott Wuerz- Belleville News-Democrat – Please click on the link above to read the full story.  Here is an excerpt below.)

The St. Louis Cardinals are moving out of “frustrating” territory and they’re headed quickly toward “embarrassing.”

It’s not a lot of fun to watch a team when there are two choices: It starts the game flat and never finds a way to get its rear in gear or else it gets ahead but you can never feel comfortable that the advantage is large enough that the club can’t blow it.

The Cardinals enjoyed early leads in all three games of their road trip to Wrigley Field to take on the Chicago Cubs. And they blew those leads. Every. Single. Time. Disgusting.

From the US Army Corps of Engineers – Rend Lake Project Office

LARGEMOUTH BASS – Good Minnows spinner baits, worms, and black and blue jigs.  Reports of fish being caught around Jackie Branch, Sandusky Cove, and below the dam. Fish in shallow bays near brush cover and bushes. Fish around bridges and along the rocks 14” minimum length limit, 6 daily creel limit. 1 fish daily creel limit in PONDS 14” minimum length.

CRAPPIE – Excellent Meal worms. Small & medium minnows. Quarter-ounce pink and white tub jigs. Shallow water!  Fish attractors!  From shore, fish near structures, hot spots are Jackie Branch, Sandusky, Sailboat Harbor, Marcum coves, and Ina Boat Ramp. Try the Jackie Branch Breakwater and along Mine 21 Road. Fish the main lake drop off areas.  25 fish daily creel limit with no more than 10 fish 10 inches or longer

BLUEGILL – Good Small jigs, worms, meal worms, wax worms, crickets.  From shore try Sailboat Harbor and Mine 21 Road. Try fishing shallow with crickets, worms or small jigs. Fish in the back of necks and on flat shallow banks and on the rocks.  10 fish daily creel limit in PONDS.

CHANNEL CATFISH – Excellent Large minnows, leeches, Hoss’s Hawg Bait, night crawlers, and Sonny’s stink bait.  Try leeches in moving water.  Drift fish the flats. Set line 3-4’ from the shore over rocks. Try the Waltonville Dam, Turnip Patch, Jackie Branch, and North Sandusky Day Use Area.  6 fish daily creel limit in PONDS. Jugs must be attended at all times while fishing.

WHITE BASS –  Good In-line spinners, jig and curly tail grubs.    Reports of fish being caught around the 154 bridges. Fish around along the rocks and drop-offs Fish in shallow bays near brush cover and bushes. 20 fish creel limit. No more than 3 fish 17” or longer daily.

LAKE LEVEL: 408.88      AVERAGE POOL FOR THIS DATE: 408.09     WATER TEMP:  77°F

Here is an update on the Southern Illinois teams playing on the diamond in Peoria this weekend.

The Goreville Blackcats  team finished third in the Class 1A State Tournament.  They defeated Somunak 10-3 in the third place game this morning.  They fell in the semi-final game to Peoria Heights 4-3 yesterday.

The Lady Blackcats will be playing for a 1A state title this afternoon, as the face Hardin-Calhoun in the finals.  They beat Heyworth 11-0 yesterday to advance.

The Pinckneyville Lady Panthers will be playing for third place, in Class 2A this afternoon against Morrison.  They fell yesterday to St. Joseph-Odgen 11-0 in the semi-finals

As we speak the Herrin Lady Tigers are playing for a 3A sectional title as they face Columbia.

sd