Trailing by two runs entering the eighth inning, the Evansville Otters scored five runs in the final two frames to win 7-4 over the Lake Erie Crushers on Wednesday evening at Sprenger Stadium.
In the first, Travis Harrison brought home the first two runs of the game with a single to left field with the bases loaded.
Lake Erie got one back when Bryan DeLaRosa scored from third base on the back end of a double steal.
The Crushers then took the lead in the fifth on Dane Hutcheon’s two-run homer to right.
Kewby Meyer drove in an insurance run with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh.
With two outs in the eighth, Hunter Cullen hit an RBI single to right which scored Zach Welz, and a subsequent error from the right fielder allowed Mike Rizzitello to score from first and tie the game at 4-4.
The Otters took the lead by pushing home three runs in the top of the ninth. With the bases loaded and two outs, Zach Welz hit a groundball to short that produced an errant throw from Aaron Hill which allowed the go-ahead run to score and kept the bases loaded. Rizzitello then stepped in and laced a two-run single to right to push the lead to 7-4.
Mitch Aker came on in the ninth and shut the door with a scoreless frame to earn his fifteenth save of the season.
Garrett Harris picks up the win for the Otters after throwing 1.1 innings and not allowing a baserunner.
Seth Lucio is hung with the loss after allowing three runs, all unearned, in the ninth while recording two outs.
Spencer Medick went six innings, allowing three runs and striking out six and gets a no-decision for his efforts.
Donny Murray also receives a no-decision after the threw 4.1 innings, allowing two runs on two hits and four walks.
The series will conclude tomorrow evening at 7:05 p.m. ET at Sprenger Stadium.
