EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The Evansville Otters (12-17) fell to the Windy City ThunderBolts (8-23) in game one of their three game series. The game was supposed to be the first of two games but game two of the doubleheader was suspended in the third inning due to rainfall, coming a day after the opener was rained out.
Evansville sent out Parker Brahms for his fifth start of his season as he worked a clean first two innings. JT Benson got the scoring started with a solo shot in the bottom of the second to give the Otters a 1-0 lead.
The ThunderBolts responded with two home runs in the top of the third to give them a 3-1 lead. After surrendering the lead, Evansville struggled to generate much as Windy City’s starter pitched the whole seven innings, only allowing one hit and one walk in the final five innings.
Windy City capitalized with timely hitting and used a couple Evansville defensive mistakes to tack on four more runs in the final three innings to win 7-1. Jack Washburn came on to finish the sixth with two strikeouts and worked the seventh, allowing an unearned run.
Even though the Otters only managed four hits, Logan Brown had two base hits in game one.
Game two saw Anthony Patterson III make his professional debut on the mound for Evansville and he shined through his three innings pitched. The 24-year-old finished his collegiate career with the Georgia Gwinnett Grizzlies with a 2.52 ERA in 75 innings.
Patterson III displayed his fantastic stuff with his lower 90s fastball and tight breaker while having fantastic control. He finished with three hits, one walk and two strikeouts and didn’t allow a run.
The Evansville offense threatened a couple of times. In the second, they got runners on second and third with one out after a L. Brown double, but failed to score a run.
During the third, the Otters then put runners on first and second with LJ Jones due up before the game was paused due to rain.
The second game will be picked up in the bottom of the third with Alain Camou on second and JT Benson on first with Jones at the plate. The game will resume at 3:00 CT and be followed by another seven inning game about 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first to complete the three-game series. The Otters are celebrating Father’s Day and a Dog Days of Summer at Bosse Field, with TaylorMade sponsoring a golf ball giveaway.
