Evansville started behind the 8-ball early, trailing 5-0 in the first. Nolan Thebiay came in to finish the first and pitched a scoreless second, striking out two in the process.
Parker Brahms entered the third for his first relief appearance of the season and had his best stuff working. He worked 6.1 innings, striking out eight batters with no walks. It is the third time Brahms has struck out eight batters in a game this year. The only blemish for him on the night was a two-out rally in the sixth that made the score 7-0 Windy City.
The Otters’ offense was locked down until the eighth inning. Back-to-back singles from Keenan Taylor and Stephen Paolini started the inning. Two walks followed, scoring the first run for Evansville and a ground out scored the second run. Dennis Pierce launched a three-run home run to bring Evansville within two. A walk brought the tying run to the plate but they couldn’t keep the rally alive, entering the ninth trailing 7-5.
Brahms started the ninth and got the first out. Gunnar Dennis entered to finish the inning, keeping the deficit at two. The Otters came to bat in the ninth but couldn’t complete the comeback, falling 7-5.
Evansville’s nine-game win streak tied the longest in franchise history and tied the second longest streak by a team this year in the Frontier League.
The Otters return tomorrow for the series and season rubber match against the Windy City ThunderBolts with a 12:35 p.m CT matinee game. Gates will open at 11:30 a.m. for the final Dog Days of Summer.
