After a quick 5-0 start Saturday, the Evansville Otters saw the Gateway Grizzlies fight back to grab a 6-5 win to even the weekend series from GCS Ballpark.
Dakota Phillips opened a monster game with a two-run homer down the line in right, scoring Elijah MacNamee in the top of the second. The Otters then led 2-0.
Dakota Phillips continued his offensive onslaught with a bases-clearing, three-run double in the top of the third, pushing the Otters’ lead to 5-0.
The Grizzlies responded in the bottom half of that inning, as Ty Moore hit a solo shot to right bringing Gateway within four.
Tim Holdgrafer allowed his only other run of the night in the bottom of the sixth, when Connor Owings collected a two-out RBI with a single to center field, tightening Evansville’s lead to three, 5-2.
Justin Lewis came on to begin the bottom of the seventh, and after striking out the first batter he faced, Lewis would walk two batters with a flyout between the two free passes.
Lewis was then lifted for Taylor Wright, who gave up a game-tying, three-run, two-out home run to Andres Regnault (his second in as many nights). The score was then tied in the bottom of the seventh.
In the bottom of the eighth, the Grizzlies managed to push across the go-ahead run after Nick Rotola singled to lead off the inning. He reached second on a stolen base, but the throw down skipped into center field allowing Rotola to advance to third. After an uncorked wild pitch, Rotola scored from third to give the Grizzlies a 6-5 lead.
That score would hold for the final, as the Otters managed to get the tying run aboard in the top of the ninth off Grizzlies closer Geoff Bramblett, but could not get him to score.
Gateway reliever Carter Hayes earned the win, while Taylor Wright took the loss. Bramblett earned his second save of the season.
The Otters look to take the Fourth of July rubber match Sunday, with a 5:45 p.m. first pitch. Fans can catch an audio broadcast of Sunday’s game on the Evansville Otters YouTube channel with a 5:30 p.m pregame show.
