31 May Miners Sweep Tri-City Doubleheader
Miners Pitching Outduels ValleyCats Arms
May 31, Augusta, NJ – The Sussex County Miners rode stellar pitching in both games on Memorial Day afternoon in winning both games of a doubleheader against the visiting Tri-City ValleyCats by scores of 2-0 and 3-1 in front of 1,566 fans at Skylands Stadium.
In the first game, the Miners sent Billy Layne, Jr. to the mound. The Seton Hall product got himself out of a 1st inning, bases loaded jam and then proceeded to set down 12 of the final 14 batters he faced in his 5 innings of work, striking out 6 ValleyCats in the process. Layne did not allow a run, and surrendered only 2 hits while walking 3 in the contest.
That was enough to let the Miners bats – and legs – to give Billy the necessary offense. Trey Hair walked, then went to 3rd on a well executed hit-and-run by Martin Figueroa. With runners on the corners, the Miners attempted a double steal. Figueroa was thrown out at second, but Hair crossed the plate (pictured) with the first Miners run. A Cito Culver RBI single in the 4th, knocking in Figueroa, would be all the offense the Miners would need in game 1.
Gavin Sonnier would come on in the 6th inning and pitch 2 perfect innings in relief, retiring all 6 ValleyCats he faced, to pick up his 1st professional save. Gavin struck 2 batters on of the 6 that he faced.
In game 2, the ValleyCats would scratch a run out off of Miners starter Alexander Vargas on a single and 3 walks. But just when the trouble seemed at it highest, Vargas snared a line drive and turned a double play to shift momentum. That lineout would start a streak of 11 batters retired in a row by Vargas, that stretched to his final inning in the 5th. Vargas would finish with jsut 1 run allowed on 2 hits. The 3 walks in the first were his only 3 on the afternoon, and Alexander also struck out 3 batters.
Again, it would be the Miners legs that manufactured the runs in the nightcap. Figueroa singled to start the 5th inning, and he would advance to 2nd on a balk. John Jones sacrificed Figueroa over to 3rd, where he would score on a Culver sacrifice fly. Daniel Herrera would later single, steal 2nd base for his 4th steal of the season, then score on a pair of wild pitches. Then, in the 6th, Hair would get hit by a pitch, steal 2nd and 3rd bases, then score when Culver would reach on a fielding error.
Michael Mediavilla would strikeout 3 straight batters after allowing a single in the 6th, then Jalen Miller, Sr. would retire the ValleyCats in order in the 7th, fanning 2 more Cats in the process, to notch his 1st save as a Miner.
The Miners return to action tomorrow night when they begin a 3-game series against their in-state rivals, the New Jersey Jackals. Game time for all 3 games is set for 7:05 pm.