The Otters (3-5) scored nine of their runs in the sixth and seventh innings, rallying in the back half of the game from down five to best the Slammers (2-5).
In the opening frame Joliet jumped ahead first with a three-run home run. Evansville had an answer in the third. After Patrick Lee reached on a dropped third strike strikeout, Jomar Reyes brought him in with a sacrifice RBI.
The Slammers tacked on three more in the sixth inning, making it a 6-1 game, but the Otters fired back with as many runs in the home half.
Randy Bednar and Donivan Williams both reached with one out. Justin Felix and Nick Gonzalez followed with back-to-back RBI knocks. In the midst of their base-hits, another runner scored on a wild pitch, and when the frame closed it was 6-4 Joliet.
After a one-two-three inning from James Krick, the Otters’ bats exploded in the seventh for six runs on as many hits to take a commanding lead and finalize the scoring.
It began with a leadoff walk from David Mendham. Reyes singled and two batters later, Williams roped a ball up the middle to score a run.
Austin Bost then came through with an RBI double to score Reyes. On the next batter, Felix was hit by a pitch to load the bases before Lee smashed a single to center, scoring two and giving the Otters an 8-6 edge.
Riley Delgado concluded the inning with a two-run single after Lee, giving Evansville important insurance runs.
Jon Beymer and Leoni De La Cruz tossed scoreless eighth and ninth innings to slam the door on the Slammers.
Krick (1-0) took the win after pitching 1.2 scoreless innings while not allowing a base-runner.
The starter Tyler Ras recovered quickly after the three-run homer in the first and dominated in his other four innings. His final line in five frames of action was three runs allowed on six hits with one walk and seven strikeouts.
Seven of nine Otters in the starting lineup had at least one RBI. Lee and Delgado led the way with two each. Williams scored twice, with Delgado and Bost racking up multi-hit games in the win.
Evansville continues the homestand tomorrow as they go for their first series victory of the 2024 regular season. First pitch for Indy 500 Night is scheduled for 6:35 PM CT.
