EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The Evansville Otters couldn’t overcome an early six-run deficit Sunday to drop the home regular-season finale to the Florence Y’alls, 8-5.
Florence wasted no time Sunday, scoring in the first inning for the third straight night. Brennan Price gave the Y’alls the lead with an RBI fielder’s choice. Two batters later, the lead doubled with an RBI single from Axel Johnson.
As the inning continued, the Y’alls found the run column twice more, on a bases-loaded hit by pitch by Wady Almonte and fielder’s choice by Lyndon Weaver.
In the second, the lead grew to 5-0 with an RBI single from Ray Zuberer.
Finally, the lead hit 6-0 in the third as Cooper Edwards singled in Weaver.
The Otters found the scoreboard in the fourth as Elijah MacNamee hit his 10th home run of the season, a solo shot.
Florence immediately answered back in the top of the fifth as the leadoff duo of Luke Harper and Alberti Chavez hit back-to-back RBI base hits.
Down 8-1, the Otters began a consistent push in the sixth. MacNamee drove in his second run of the day with a sixth-inning single.
In the seventh, the Otters scored an opening run on a balk, bringing Rosario home. Directly after, J.R. Davis drove in Zach Biermann to being the Otters to within four.
In the eighth, the comeback attempt ended, Evansville grabbing a fifth and final run on a sacrifice fly RBI from Brody Tanksley.
The loss ended Evansville’s five-game winning streak and once again evened the Otters with Schaumburg in the West Division.
Jonaiker Villalobos pitched to the win, allowing three runs on seven hits in 6.2 innings. The loss fell on Justin Watland, who allowed five runs on five hits in two innings of work.
