EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The Evansville Otters (16-17) bats stayed red hot with a 15-12 victory over the Washington Wild Things (19-15) on Wednesday night. The Otters hit seven home runs in the game, matching a franchise record dating back to August 8, 2007.
The offense got started quickly with a three-run home run from JT Benson. Not to be outdone, Keenan Taylor hit a solo shot to put Evansville up 4-0 after the first.
After Washington put two up in the top of the second, Graham Brown hit a two-run home run of his own to give the Otters a 6-2 lead after two.
Anthony Patterson III got his second professional start, and after a stellar first start, he pitched through some trouble tonight. Washington used an eight-run third inning to take a 10-6 lead.
Evansville didn’t wait to bounce back. JJ Cruz hit a towering three-run home run and after a Dennis Schwartz bloop hit, G. Brown hit his second home run of the night to give the Otters an 11-10 lead after three.
The Wild Things followed suit with another home run to lead 12-11 after their half. Evansville responded once again with LJ Jones’ first home run of the year to tie the game at 12.
The pitching for both sides tightened after the fourth. Joan Gonzalez in his third inning pitched a clean fifth, finishing with five punchouts on the night. Nolan Thebiay pitched the sixth and extended his scoreless streak to six innings to start his pro career. Casey Delgado worked a 1-2-3 seventh that would eventually see him earn the win.
The bottom of the seventh would be the difference in the tight ballgame. With two runners on with two outs, Pierce launched a three-run blast to give Evansville a 15-12 lead, capping off his 4-for-5 night.
Nick McAuliffe pitched a clean eighth with three strikeouts. He also has been fantastic to start his pro career, not allowing a run in his first 12.1 innings. Alex Valdez shut the door in the ninth, facing the minimum and striking out two.
Evansville’s 15 runs were all scored off home runs in tonight’s ballgame. The Otters are back in action with a doubleheader against Washington tomorrow with Salute to the Negro Leagues Night, sponsored by Millennium Steel and the Evansville African American Museum. The twin bill features postgame fireworks after the conclusion of the second game. Gates open at 4:00 p.m. CT with first pitch scheduled for 5:05 p.m. CT.
