SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The Miners lost 14-4 in today's game against University of Illinois Springfield, the last in this week's series. Batting was less successful today compared to the rest of the series, getting only 5 hits after recording 48 in the first three games.
The Miners went three and out in the top of the first, quickly finding themselves down 2-0 after a two-run homerun by UIS's second batter of the game. The homerun would be the only runs that starting pitcher
David Kephart (Overland Park, KS/Blue Valley Northwest) would allow in the first though, only giving up a single the rest of the inning. With runners on first and second, a double by
Logan Alexander (Olathe, KS/Olathe Northwest) would bring home the Miners first run of the game, making it a 2-1 game heading into the bottom of the second.
The next two half innings were both short, with each team only getting one runner on base without recording any hits. Kephart would get a pair of strikeouts in the bottom of the third but give up another two-run homerun as the Prairie Stars took a 4-1 lead. A strikeout and a double play ended the Miners' next chance at bat, taking the game into the bottom of the fourth which would prove to be the longest half inning of the game.
Kephart started the fourth right, getting a flyout, but would give up a walk, a single and a homerun to the next three batters, allowing UIS to go up 7-1. He would give up five more hits and three more runs before
Matthew Kaiser (St. Louis, MO/Vianney) took over pitching duties with the scoreboard reading UIS 10, S&T 1. Kaiser would give up a sacrifice fly and a single to his first couple of batters, as the Prairie Stars brought two more home before the inning ended on a strikeout.
Singles by
Andrew Hedgecorth (Smithville, MO/Smithville) and
Kenneth Sugi (North Vancouver, BC/Carson Graham Secondary) gave the Miners runners on first and second with two outs in the top of the fifth.
Nick Krodinger (DeSoto, MO/DeSoto) came through with a three-run homerun to help cut into Illinois-Springfield's lead some, bringing the score to 12-4. UIS got runners into scoring position quickly in the bottom of the fifth, with a double, a walk and a throwing error allowing the Prairie Stars to load the bases with no outs. The Miners got out of the dilemma unscathed though, with Kaiser striking out the next batter before a double play ended the inning. Unfortunately, the Miners were on the wrong side of a double play next inning, taking the game into the bottom of the sixth with UIS up 12-4.
The Prairie Stars got runners in scoring position with no outs again in the sixth, with a single, a hit by pitch, and a bunt getting the bases loaded with 0 outs. A pair of sacrifice fly balls to right field would bring two home for the home team before the inning closed, taking the game into the top of the seventh with the danger of a run-rule looming for the Miners. S&T was unable to get anything going in the seventh, only getting through three batters and would lose the game 14-4 in a run-rule.
Kephart and Kaiser each recorded two strikeouts today but combined to allow 15 hits on 29 at bats. The loss went to Kephart, dropping his record to 2-2 this season. Sugi went 1-for-3 at bat today, bringing his series batting average to .579 as he recorded 11 hits on 19 at bats between the four games. Sugi and Alexander tied for the most RBIs in the series with 8 each, with 7 of their combined 16 RBIs coming from homeruns.
The Miners return home for a single game against Harding and a series against Upper Iowa next week as they look to improve on their 14-15 record after a tough series in Springfield.
