July 23, 2014
Playoff Round One – single game elimination
Madisonville Miners 6, Dubois County Bombers 1. (From Dubois County) The Madisonville Miners eliminated the Dubois County Bombers from the Ohio Valley League playoffs last night with a dramatic 6-1 comeback victory at Huntingburg’s League Stadium.
Most of the night belonged to the starting pitchers. Tanner Koch for Madisonville held the Bombers scoreless through six innings. He retired eight Bombers on strikeouts, only giving up three hits through those first six frames.
Dubois County third baseman Chase Scott led off the seventh with a home run just to the left of the old-time scoreboard. It was the first home run hit in OVL action this season in League Stadium. When Joe Sturino followed with a single, Miners’ skipper Jared Franklin called on reliever Miles Wagner to replace Koch. Wagner escaped without further damage.
Meanwhile, Dubois County starting pitcher Ryan Dills was even more dominant. Dills limited the Miners to one hit and a walk through the first eight innings. Both were erased on the bases attempting to steal. Josh Wetzel was cut down at second base by Bomber catcher Rick Linton in the third inning.
In the 8th, Jackson Martin reached first base on the first walk Dills had allowed. Martin was sacrificed to second, and moved to third on a ground out. With two down, Martin broke for home in a delayed steal as Linton returned the ball to Dills after a pitch. The throw back to the plate from Dills was just in time, and Linton eliminated another baserunner by making the tag.
For the eighth consecutive frame, the Miners were retired with no runners left on base. Through eight, Dills had faced the minimum 24 hitters in a thoroughly impressive performance.
Dills returned to the mound in the ninth in an attempt to complete the shutout. The first Miner batter flied out to center. Then Adam Schuster walked. Pinch-hitter Colton Nussel rapped a single back through the box that glanced off of Dills’ leg.
Nick Calandra followed with another single to tie the game at 1-1. Dubois County head coach Wes Fink pulled Dills to a standing ovation from the home crowd.
In compiling their 10-30 season record, Madisonville had fallen just a bit short on numerous occasions. The whole league knew they were a better team than their record indicated. On this night, it was as if a season of frustration had been waiting on playoff action.
Eleven Miners came to the plate in the ninth inning, producing a six-run, six-hit bombardment off of four Bomber pitchers.
Miles Wagner gets the win in relief for the Miners. Ryan Dills gets tagged with as well-pitched of a loss as you are likely to find.
Dubois County’s season ends with a record of 19-21.
Madisonville will host the regular season league champion Owensboro Oilers tonight in the first game of a best-of-three playoff semifinal. Box Scores Click Here.