A season best crowd of 5,108 watched the Otters hold the Crushers to just two hits. Evansville scored seven runs in the seventh inning, led by a Kona Quiggle grand slam.
Quiggle hit two homers with six RBIs.
Watland proved nearly unhittable Thursday to earn his sixth win of the season. The second year Otter allowed just two hits and one walk while striking out nine Crushers.
He retired 13 straight batters over a four inning stretch.
Evansville led 2-0 before exploding in the seventh inning to put the game away. Dakota Phillips started the inning with a double and scored on a sacrifice fly.
John Dyer added an RBI hit to extend the lead to 4-0.
Quiggle then launched his grand slam over the right field wall. Jomar Reyes capped the inning with a two RBI single.
Noah Myers opened the scoring with a leadoff double in the first and scored on a wild pitch.
Josh Broughton hit a solo home run in the fifth inning in his first game as an Otter.
Quiggle capped his big day with a two-run blast in the eighth. The Evansville center fielder has hit four home runs in the six games since the All-Star Break.
Kevin Davis finished the Evansville pitching performance with a perfect last two innings with four strikeouts.
Davis and Watland combined to retire 24 of the last 25 Crushers’ batters.
Noah Myers extended his hit streak to eleven games. Phillips and Bryan Rosario both totaled two hits.
The Otters continue the homestand opening a weekend series with the Empire State Greys on Friday evening at 6:35 PM CT. Bosse Field will celebrate Deaconess Healthy Evansville Night and Christmas in July presented by the Santa Clothes Club.
