Pearl, Miss. – Despite taking an early lead, the Evansville Otters couldn’t get the big hit they were looking for and fell to the Mississippi Mud Monsters 4-3 in Sunday afternoon’s series finale.
CJ Backer got his second start of the season and after an error, walk and single, the Otters trailed 2-0 after the first.
The Otters bounced back in the top of the second and loaded the bases after JJ Cruz got hit by a pitch. Keenan Taylor drew a bases-loaded walk to get the first run in and Alain Camou pounced on the first pitch he saw to plate two runs with a single.
After that inning, Backer settled in and shut down the Mud Monsters for three straight innings. He ran into trouble again in the fifth. After a walk opened the frame, an RBI single tied the game at 3-3. Ryan Wiltse was called upon from the Otters bullpen, but allowed a run to score on a wild pitch that would end up being the winning run.
Ethan Bradford came in and pitched a shutout 1.2 innings before and Valdez got Mississippi to go three up, three down in the eighth.
Evansville had chances to score, but couldn’t get the needed hit with runners in scoring position. Unable to get the all-important hit, the Otters would leave a runner on in each of the final three innings and fall to Mississippi by one run for the second straight night.
Evansville will get a scheduled off day Monday before opening a six-game homestand on Tuesday night against the Schaumburgh Boomers. Tuesday is Mental Health Awareness Night with gates opening at 5:30 p.m., first pitch scheduled for 6:35 p.m.
