LOMBARD - The Miners are two games into the 2008 Frontier League playoffs and one thing is apparent - something has to change.

Southern Illinois, owner of a .188 team batting average, has to start hitting. The defense, owners of six errors, has to back up the pitching. The Miners have to make Windy City pay for issuing an average of 8 ½ walks per game in a series it's owned.

In short, the Miners need to piece together a total game. Southern Illinois finds itself down, 2-0, to Windy City, the defending Frontier League champions.

Right-hander Chris Little commands the spotlight in tonight's 7:05 p.m. elimination game at Rent One Park. Little will face 10-game winner Stephen Flake.

Drop this one and the best-of-five series is over.

"It's a no-lose situation the same as any other situation in the fact that my team is looking at me to get us back into the series," Little said.

Southern Illinois, the best comeback team in the league during the regular season, hasn't been able to turn things around in a pair of losses. Now they must come back with three straight wins.

It will be a tough task, but not impossible.

"We'll have to look at the fact that it's been done before and we're good enough to do it," said Miners' manager Mike Pinto.

Pinto added a caveat.

"But, we're going to have to get our heads out of an orifice (they're) in right now and get out and have quality at-bats and square some balls up. We're not doing that."

The offensive disparity in the first two games of this has been glaring. The Miners have one extra-base hit and seven RBIs in 69 team at-bats. Windy City batted .316 with four doubles, a triple and 12 RBIs.

"Our five or six guys that have carried us all year, including myself, haven't produced the way we're supposed to in the playoffs," said Brendan Akashian. "They've out-produced us and that's why they're up 2-0."

Akashian is 0-for-the-series, as is banged-up shortstop Mike Scanzano. Brandon Jones is hitting .222 and is without an RBI.

"The story, really, for the last two days comes down to we haven't gotten any hits," Pinto said.

Two players Windy City specifically game-planned for, Tim Dorn and Joey Metropoulos, have hit some, but haven't gotten many pitches.

Windy City manager Mike Kashirsky entered this series with a goal.

"Our big thing is, 'Metro' and Dorn, we don't want them guys hitting a home run," Kashirsky said. "So, we'll take a walk out of that,"

Dorn (.375 BA) has two walks and three singles with two RBIs. Metropoulos has walked three times with a pair of hits, two RBIs and a .286 average.

Windy City's trio of Gilberto Mejia, Mike Coles and league MVP Phil Hawke has killed the Miners. Mejia has a .333 average with three runs scored. Coles (.667) has the best batting average, most hits and most runs scored (4) in the playoffs. Hawke has a .444 average, a postseason-best four RBIs.

"It's going to come down to if we can get them out, we can win," Pinto said. "If we can't, we won't."

dw_norris@thesouthern.com

When: 7:05 p.m. at Rent One Park

Tickets: Call the Miners' box office at 998-8499.

Radio: WQUL 97.7 FM

Tonight's starting pitchers: RHP Chris Little (9-4, 2.90 ERA) vs. RHP Stephen Flake (10-3, 4.04 ERA).

Little (1-1) split a pair of starts with a 4.38 ERA. He struck out five and walked seven in 12.1 innings against Windy City. Flake was 1-1 with a 2.95 ERA in three starts against the Miners. Flake struck out 13 and walked nine in 21.1 innings. The Miners batted .236 against Flake.