The Evansville Otters became the first Frontier League franchise to win 1,000 games after a 6-5 victory over the Normal Cornbelters Tuesday at Bosse Field.
The milestone win came in game one of a doubleheader, forced by the suspension of a game between Evansville and Normal Aug. 3 at The Corn Crib.
Play resumed in the top of the second inning with the Cornbelters leading 3-0 and the Normal offense picked up where it left off with a sacrifice fly and an RBI single in the inning.
Down 5-0, Evansville began a rally in the fifth. A Josh Allen RBI single scored Kolten Yamaguchi and Allen would later score on a Jeff Gardner RBI double.
In the sixth, Evansville added two more runs. Following a single by Christopher Riopedre and Yamaguchi getting hit by a pitch, Ryan Long hit a two-run RBI triple to make the score 5-4.
Evansville would cap the comeback in the ninth. With the bases loaded and nobody out, John Schultz grounded into a double play, scoring Nick Walker to tie the game at 5-5.
Alejandro Segovia hit the go-ahead RBI single that scored Dane Phillips.
Brandon Cook picked up the win for Evansville as he tossed two scoreless innings in relief. Randy McCurry pitched a scoreless ninth to earn his 15th save of the season.
Evansville will celebrate the 1,000th victory in a special ceremony Aug. 31 on Fan Appreciation Night at the ballpark. Pam Miller, the first Assistant General Manager of the Otters, will be in attendance along with Evansville’s first signee in 1995, Jeff Leystra.
Leystra played for the Otters from 1995-98 and served as the pitching coach under former manager Greg Tagert from 1997-00. He was a Frontier League All-Star selection and later was a pitching coach at his alma mater, the University of Evansville.
Frontier League Deputy Commissioner Steve Tahsler will also be in attendance.
In the regularly scheduled game, Normal beat Evansville 3-2.
After a scoreless first, a Diego Cedeno RBI ground out made it 1-0 and a wild pitch later in the inning doubled the advantage to 2-0 in the second.
Zach Welz hit his first home run with Evansville in the bottom half of the inning, a two-run shot that tied the game at 2-2.
The Cornbelters reclaimed the lead for good in the fifth as Diego Cedeno scored on an RBI single from Yeixon Ruiz.
Edgar De La Rosa was awarded the win and Evansville’s Ryan Etsell took the loss. Etsell allowed three runs-two earned-off four hits while accumulating five strikeouts in six innings.
The Otters and Cornbelters continue the series from Bosse Field on Wednesday with first pitch scheduled for 6:35 p.m.
On Wednesday, it’s First Responders Night at Bosse Field. The game also includes a 1910s and 2010s poster giveaway for early arriving fans in attendance. The posters are part of a season-long series of poster giveaways that highlight the history of Bosse Field.
Fans can listen live to the game on 91.5 FM WUEV and watch on the Otters Digital Network. Lucas Corley (play-by-play) and Bill McKeon (analysis) will provide coverage.
Tickets for Wednesday are still available by going to evansvilleotters.com or calling 812-435-8686.
