SAUGET, IL – The Evansville Otters (6-15) fell in a rubber match to the Gateway Grizzlies (14-7) 16-2 on Sunday at Grizzlies Ballpark. The Otters had leads on two separate occasions but could not hold on.
The game opened with a bright spot in the top of the first inning. With two outs, David Mendham hit his first home run of the season to get the Otters on the board.
In the bottom of the inning, Gateway matched scores with a home run of their own to tie the game.
In the fourth inning, runners were on second and third when Randy Bednar hit a sacrifice fly to plate Mike Peabody. The Otters took their final lead of the afternoon with the 2-1 score.
From then, the Grizzlies put up crooked numbers in the next three innings. They launched four home runs during the stretch, including two three-run bombs and a grand slam.
Zach Smith (0-4) was solid through the first three innings as the starter. The Grizzlies got to him in the fourth frame and chased him quickly in the fifth. The righty surrendered seven runs.
While the next two arms out of the bullpen for the Otters also yielded multiple runs, Tristan Harvin and Leoni De La Cruz combined for three scoreless innings to close the game.
The Otters will head home with an off day tomorrow. The Lake Erie Crushers come to town to kickoff a six-game home stand. Tuesday is a Fifth Third Bank Family Tuesday, with all GA tickets available for just $2. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 PM CT. Coverage is available on the Otters Digital Network and FloBaseball.
