Olson launched a two-run home run over the right field wall in the second inning to give the Otters a 2-0 lead. Evansville scored first for the 17th consecutive game.
The Otters’ first baseman added a single in the fourth and double in the sixth for his first three-hit performance of the season.
Despite the early scoring from the Otters, Joliet did enough with the bats in the third and fourth inning to pull away themselves. A two-run home run tied the game in the third before the Slammers took the lead with three runs in the fourth courtesy of a walk, single, double and error.
James Krick and Leoni de La Cruz worked out of the bullpen to keep the Otters within swimming distance of the Slammers. Krick tossed two scoreless innings before De La Cruz struck out all three batters he faced in the seventh.
Evansville plated two in the eighth to cut the lead to one. Jomar Reyes had the key hit and would score on great baserunning when he went all the way home from second on a routine ground ball, catching the Slammers off guard, allowing Reyes to advance home on the mental miscue.
Joliet added a run in the bottom of the eighth to extend the lead to two and the Otters went down in order in the ninth.
Ethan Skender extended his hit streak to 10 games. Kona Quiggle brought his on-base streak to 16 games and Bryan Rosario stole his league-leading 21st base of the season.
Game two between the Slammers and Otters is slated for 6:05 PM CT Saturday evening in Joliet.
All home and road Otters games this season are televised on FloSports with audio-only coverage available for free on the Evansville Otters YouTube page.
