By David Kubota
NKyTribune reporter
Nolan Earley blasted a three-run homer in the fifth inning to spark the Southern Illinois Miners to a 6-4 win over the Florence Freedom in the first game of a doubleheader Wednesday night.
Florence built an early 4-0 lead, but Southern Illinois used a five-run fifth inning to pull ahead for good. Romeo Cortina began the rally with a solo homer, and Earley capped the outburst by hitting a three-run shot off Chuck Weaver to give the Miners a 6-4 lead.
It was Earley’s seventh homer of the season.
Xavier Turner went 3-for-3 and scored twice for Florence, while teammate Caleb Lopes hit his first homer of the season. Austin Wobrock and Jordan Brower both had RBI singles for the Freedom.
Weaver pitched five innings for the Freedom and allowed all six runs.
In the nightcap, Kyle Davis led off the bottom of the eighth inning with a homer to give Southern Illinois a 2-1 win and a sweep of the doubleheader. Davis’ walk-off homer came off Freedom reliever Brian McKenna. It was the first homer of the season for Davis, who is a native of Cincinnati.
David Kubota is a Scripps Howard Foundation intern at the NKyTribune this summer. He is a student at the University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media.