The Evansville Otters’ attempt at a weekend series sweep was halted by the Lake Erie Crushers Sunday afternoon, as the Crushers won by a final score of 3-0.
The Crushers took an early lead in the bottom of the second inning, when Bryan De La Rosa scored on a shallow pop hit to left field by Zack Gray that dropped and went for an RBI double.
From the first inning onward, the Otters’ bats were stymied by the former big league repertoire of left-handed knuckleballer and former Toronto Blue Jay Ryan Feierabend. The southpaw held the Otters to one hit over seven innings of work on the mound.
The Crushers would extend their lead with an eighth inning two-run homer by Trevor Achenbach off of Tyler Spring, who relieved Ryan O’Reilly to begin the inning.
O’Reilly allowed only the one run in the second during his seven inning performance.
A day after completing a herculean, nine-run rally in the ninth, the Otters managed to make things interesting in the top of the ninth again. Michael Gangwish and Gary Mattis both walked to bring Elijah MacNamee to the plate as the tying run, but MacNamee’s well-struck fly ball to right would be hit right at the Crushers’ right fielder Brody Wofford.
The loss cemented a 3-3 road trip for the Otters, who still possess the best record in the Frontier League following Sunday’s afternoon contest.
The Otters will return home to Bosse Field for a Taco Tuesday and Military Appreciation Night following an off day on Monday. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m., and fans can follow a broadcast of the game on Frontier League LiveTV with a 6:20 p.m. pregame show.
