Following a low scoring start, the Evansville Otters dropped their series opener with the Schaumburg Boomers Friday night by a 5-2 final.
Otters starter Tim Holdgrafer and Schaumburg righty Orlando Rodriguez traded five scoreless innings to start the ballgame, as each arm stymied opposing batters with excellent command and patented strikeout stuff.
The Boomers broke the scoring open in the top of the sixth off Holdgrafer, as Chase Dawson singled home two with one out, giving Schaumburg a 2-0 lead.
Evansville managed to scratch one across in the bottom half of that frame, as Miles Gordon — who had reached on a throwing error — scored from third on a J.R. Davis RBI groundout.
After getting a strikeout to begin the top of the seventh, Holdgrafer was lifted for Justin Lewis, who got the final two outs of the inning while mixing in a strikeout.
In the top of the eighth, Samson Abernathy came on in relief of Justin Lewis who plunked the first batter he faced in the inning on one pitch. Abernathy would oversee a three-run inning, in which three hits including a two-run double by Quincy Nieporte gave the Boomers a 5-1 lead.
Abernathy would go on to pitch a scoreless ninth in a rebound effort, keep the Otters within four.
Evansville succeeded in bringing the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the ninth, after Elijah MacNamee led off the inning with a walk and was later driven in on a single to left from Bryce Denton, bringing the Otters within three.
Andrew Penner would draw a walk to bring Miles Gordon to the plate as the tying run, but the rally proved too little too late as Boomers reliever Jake Joyce got the final out, sending Schaumburg to a 5-2 victory.
Orlando Rodriguez earned the win, while Tim Holdgrafer, despite the quality start, took his second loss of the season.
Evansville will look to even the series on a Deaconess Women’s Hospital Princess Night Saturday. First pitch in that game will be at 6:35 p.m.
