The Evansville Otters battled back late but fell in ten innings 7-6 to the Gateway Grizzlies on Wednesday evening at GCS ballpark.
David Cronin started the game with a bang, leading off the first inning with a solo home run, his first of the year.
Mike Rizzitello doubled the Otters lead with an RBI double in the second.
Justin Ellison got Gateway on the board with a solo homer in the bottom of the second.
A solo home run for Jeff Cardenas brought the Grizzlies even with the Otters at 2-2 in the bottom of the fourth.
Gateway took their first lead of the game in the fifth on a two-run single from Cardenas.
Blake Brown drove home an insurance run in the eighth with an RBI infield single to make it 5-2 Grizzlies.
Down to their final strike in the ninth, the Otters tied the game in the on a three-run homer from Ryan Long, his sixth of the year.
A bases loaded walk to Taylor Hillson in the tenth put Evansville ahead 6-5.
Gateway clawed back in the bottom of the frame and loaded the bases with nobody out. With the bases juiced, Shane Mardirosian singled to right to bring home the tying and winning runs to walk it off for Gateway and give them a 7-6 victory.
Patrick Boyle takes the victory after recording the final out in the top of the tenth.
Mitch Aker is saddled with his fourth loss of the season for the Otters. Aker did not record an out in the tenth while allowing two runs.
Otters starter Tyler Vail did not factor into the decision. Vail threw six innings, allowing four runs on six hits while collecting five strikeouts.
Mike Elwood started for Gateway and also collected a no-decision. Elwood went seven innings allowing just two hits and two runs while punching out seven.
The two teams square off again tomorrow at 7:05 p.m. in the rubber match of the series at GCS Ballpark.
