Powered by a seven-run seventh inning, the Evansville Otters upended the Windy City Thunderbolts 7-3 to salvage the final game of the series and avoid the sweep at Bosse Field on Sunday afternoon in front of 1,235 fans.
Windy City cracked the scoreboard first with an RBI single in the top of the third from Tim Zier.
In the fourth, Windy City plated two more runs. Ronnie Healy had an RBI single and Joe Becht brought home a run with a sacrifice fly.
The Otters stormed back to take the lead with a seven-run seventh inning where they sent 11 batters to the plate which included nine straight hitters reaching base safely. With the bases loaded, Travis Harrison got the Otters on the board with a two-run single up the middle. Daniel Spingola then followed with another RBI single to tie the game at 3-3. Brant Whiting pushed Evansville in front with a two-run double to left. Jeff Gardner proceeded to double home Whiting and put the Otters ahead 6-3. Gardner was picked off of second base, but Zach Welz singled and was brought home on an RBI triple from Hunter Cullen to cap the inning and push the Otters ahead 7-3.
Sean Adler and Mitch Aker combined to throw the final two frames of the ballgame in relief and sealed the 7-3 win.
Austin Nicely gets the win for the Otters, his fifth on the season. Nicely tossed seven innings, allowing three runs, two earned, on nine hits while striking out a career high nine batters.
Broulio Torres-Perez is hit with the loss for Windy City. Torres-Perez went 6.1 innings and allowed four runs on five hits while striking out seven.
