Otters clinch postseason spot with Holdgrafer masterclass

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Sauget, Ill. – The Evansville Otters punched their ticket to the 2023 Frontier League postseason with a 6-0 win against the Gateway Grizzlies on Thursday night.

Tim Holdgrafer worked the Otters’ first complete game of the season. He earned the win in the shutout effort, giving up no runs on six hits, striking out six and not allowing a walk all evening.

The Otters broke a scoreless tie in the fifth inning as Bryan Rosario scored on an error. Evansville added another as Noah Myers singled home a run.

The lead was tripled in the seventh as George Callil and Kona Quiggle each hit two-run home runs, bringing the lead to 6-0.

Holdgrafer led the Otters the rest of the way, sitting down the Grizzlies’ final seven batters.

Collin Sullivan received the loss for Gateway, allowing two runs on three hits across five innings of work.

In the win, Myers scored his 84th run of 2023, setting a new record for single season runs by an Otter, passing Josh Allen, who scored 83 in 2017.

The night not only clinched the Otters playoff spot, but also their final finish position. With Schaumburg’s win against Florence, Evansville will be the three seed and play at Schaumburg Tuesday, September 5th in the Frontier League West Division Wild Card game.

Before postseason action can begin, Evansville begins their final series of the 2023 regular season on Friday at Schaumburg for a 6:30 PM CT first pitch from Grizzlies Ballpark.