Sussex Miners hit fireworks in weekend rally

By Nathan Mayberg
Augusta — All the Sussex County Miners needed on Saturday was a screwball thrower to cap off a 10th inning come from behind win on a night that featured everything from fireworks to ejections, a rainstorm, an injured pitcher, an umpire hit in the neck with a pitch, a trade and extra inning heroics.

Power hitting slugger Kenny Bryant's home run in the 8th inning paved the way for Jon Diziomba's long line drive game-winning RBI in the 10th to seal the deal for the Miners in a game where they fell behind early but showed inner gusto to turn away the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks with an 8-7 victory.

It is played near what looks to almost be a cornfield straight out of Field of Dreams.

Approximately 2,607 fans packed the stadium on a recent Saturday where fireworks were promised.

Things looked bleak early for the Miners after starting pitcher Josh Wood had to come out of the game in the first inning after injuring his knee. He was charged with giving up two hits and two runs.

He was replaced by 29-year-old knuckleballer Zach Staniewicz, who actually gave up the second run charged to Wood.

Staniewicz kept hitters off balance much of the time with a knuckleball that dipped down to 62 miles per hour that he mixed in with an 80 miles per hour fastball.

He gave up three runs over four and two-thirds innings.

Meanwhile, the Miners had trouble early hitting off of Fargo pitcher Taylor Stanton, whose fastball was running between 89 and 91 miles per hour.

After five innings, Fargo led 5-2.

In the sixth inning, Sussex brought in 26-year-old pitcher Josh Mueller, who played five years in the minor league system of the Colorado Rockies.

He pitched two scoreless innings on Saturday to keep the Miners in the game.

As children raced for foul balls hit into the stands like they were hit off Hall of Famers, the game was delayed after the seventh inning when a hard rain came down.

The Miners called an audible and started their fireworks show early to grand applause.

When the team came out in the eighth inning, it looked like a new squad.

Bryant, the team's prototypical power hitting first baseman, launched his sixth home run of the season to drive in Johnny Bladel and make it a 5-4 game.

After Ryan Matthews singled, a loud enthusiastic fan yelled out to the next batter Devin Thaut “come on Devin, hit the Coca-Cola sign!”

Thaut singled, moving Matthews to third base.

Second baseman Ryan Pineda promptly doubled home Matthews to tie the game.

Shortstop Cory Morales drove home both Pineda and Thaut with a single to give the Miners a 7-5 lead.

But it wasn't going to be that easy.

Reliever Joe Testa, who spent eight years in the minor league organizations of the Twins and Nationals, gave up two runs in the ninth inning.

Chad Mozingo hit a triple to score Zach Penprase and scored on a wild pitch.

Miners catcher Jayson Hernandez was ejected in the bottom of the ninth after arguing a called third strike.

In the bottom of the 10th, facing Goshen, New York product Jonathan Chudy, Pineda and Thaut walked before Dziomba drove them home with a hard hit line drive deep to the outfield to win the game.

“We never said no,' Dziomba explained about the team's comeback win.

“This team comes through in the clutch so much during late games,” he said.

“We never get intimidated…There is no lead that is safe.”