Otters extend division lead with doubleheader sweep of Y’alls
The Evansville Otters took both games of a Thursday night doubleheader at Bosse Field over the Florence Y’alls by 6-0 and 4-2 scores.
With the doubleheader sweep, the Otters extended their West Division lead over the Y’alls to four games.
The Otters combined a spectacular second pro-ball start from Braden Scott and a six-run fifth to take game one by a 6-0 final.
Scott and Y’alls righty Edgar Martinez traded four scoreless innings to start the evening, until Miles Gordon led off the bottom of the fifth with a home run to right center field.
Martinez would proceed to walk four Otters in a row after getting the first two out in the inning, while his outing ended after plunking Otters designated hitter John Schultz.
Martinez was then relieved by hard-throwing righty Sean Hughes, who gave up a two-out, two-run single to Cristopher Pujols. Gordon would pick up his second hit and second RBI of the inning when he drove in Schultz from third with an infield single. The Otters then led 6-0 after the half-dozen runs scored in the frame.
Scott would pitch through the sixth inning, keeping a scoreless start intact after loading the bases with no one out in the top of the sixth. Scott proceeded to strike out the next two batters and get Harrison DiNicola to ground out to second to end the inning.
Taylor Wright came out of the bullpen to finish the ballgame, retiring the side in order in the seventh, mixing in two punchouts.
Braden Scott (2-0) earned the victory, while Evansville served Martinez (4-1) his first loss of the season.
The Otters won game one by a score of 6-0.
Evansville also took the first lead of game two off of Y’alls starter Hayden Wheeler, when Andrew Penner singled home Miles Gordon from second in the bottom of the third, putting the Otters up 1-0.
Florence answered right back in the top of the fourth, taking advantage of a fielding error to score their only runs of the day on a two-run single hit by Trevor Craport. Florence then led 2-1 at the midway point of the second game in the doubleheader.
The Otters would trail the Y’alls until the bottom of the fifth, when Miles Gordon tied the game with a two-out hit that scored Bryce Denton from second. The game was then tied 2-2.
The Otters broke the tie in the bottom of the sixth, when Dakota Phillips singled home Riley Krane from second with a base hit to right field.
Josh Henderson would add an insurance tally with an RBI-single of his own, coming with two men out and a 0-2 count. The Otters led 4-2 after six.
In the top of the seventh, Logan Sawyer replaced Otters’ starter Polo Portela, who was then in line for the win following six innings of two run (one earned) ball, with five strikeouts and no walks.
Sawyer struck out the side after allowing a leadoff hit to earn his eighth save of the year, as Evansville secured the doubleheader sweep and a series victory over the Y’alls by a 4-2 margin.
Portela (4-0) earned his fourth win of the season, while Y’alls reliever Jared Cheek (4-1) took the loss.
The Otters will open a three-game road trip with a series against the Gateway Grizzlies Friday, with a 6:45 first pitch. Fans can catch an audio broadcast of Friday’s game on the Evansville Otters YouTube channel.
SOUTH CENTRAL INC. ACQUIRES FIBERTECH INC.
South Central, Inc. (www.SouthCentralInc.com) – a 75-year-old, family-owned company based in Evansville, Indiana – today announced that it entered into an agreement to acquire Fibertech, Inc. (www.FibertechInc.net), a leading manufacturer of high-quality, custom-engineered, rotational-molded plastic products including bulk containers, plastic pallets, plastic lockers, and more for a variety of industries including agriculture, health care, hospitality, manufacturing, maritime, recreation, and recycling.
The sale allows Bill Scott, the Founder of Fibertech, to retire and provides growth opportunities and stability for the business and its employees. “Bill wanted to find a good steward for Fibertech who shared similar values, care for employees, and commitment to the community. South Central, Inc and the Engelbrecht family check all of the boxes,†said Brent Rasche, Chief Operating Officer of Fibertech, Inc.Â
This acquisition will further expand and diversify South Central’s portfolio of investments across multiple industries including real estate, addiction treatment, and private debt. “South Central, Inc. was founded on the belief that business is an honorable calling and we can make a difference in the world by helping talented teams build great companies,†said JP Engelbrecht, South Central Inc. Chief Executive Officer, who today has been named Chief Executive Officer of Fibertech, Inc. “Fibertech, Inc. is a solid company with a history of successful operations. We are thrilled to help take this local business to the next level by investing in new production capacity, talent, and technology.â€Â
About South Central, Inc:
South Central, Inc. is a 75-year-old family office and holding company investing patient capital that prefers to invest in businesses where it can make a difference by helping management achieve its goals. South Central invests across various industries with a preference toward owning investments indefinitely. For more information about South Central, please visit www.SouthCentralInc.com.Â
About Fibertech, Inc:
Since its inception in Elberfeld, Indiana in 1999, Fibertech has become one of the industry’s preeminent plastics solution companies with a highly-skilled team that not only produces the most cost-effective and durable, 100% virgin polyethylene plastic material handling equipment, but is also committed to fostering customer relationships and continually evolving to meet their needs. For more information about Fibertech, Inc., please visit www.FibertechInc.net. Â
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‘Ready To Go’ — Confident Lilly King Eyes Olympic Opportunity
Submitted By IU Athletic Department
Confident?
No doubt.
Cocky?
It depends on perspective.
Lilly King has no time to debate semantics. The former Indiana swimming national titleholder has more Olympic races to win, more gold medals to earn, and a record-breaking reputation to enhance.
It won’t happen without fierce resolve and competitiveness.
Oh, and a strong dose of talent.
If you believe Hoosier coach Ray Looze, who is a Team USA assistant swim coach for the second time, King is poised to do just that when the Tokyo Games start on July 23. She qualified for the 100-meter and 200-meter breaststrokes, plus potentially a couple of relays.
Looze says the 24-year-old King is in the best shape of her life, impressive given her accomplishments.
She isn’t about to argue.
“That is definitely reassuring,†King says via a recent Zoom press conference opportunity. “I am ready to go. I feel much more experienced at this point.â€
Experience comes from a breakthrough 2016 Olympics in Rio. She won gold in the 100-meter breaststroke and the women’s 400-meter medley relay with a refreshingly outspoken approach that generated international attention.
“Going into 2016, I was like a deer in the headlights,†she says. “I had no idea what was going on. I am feeling a lot more at ease, but also prepared.”
Preparation comes despite pandemic conditions. Challenges peaked last spring and summer when facilities closed all over the country.
“It was crazy,†King says. “Pools shut down here. We were driving to Indianapolis to swim in a one-lane pool for a couple of months. We were swimming in a pond. I did not like that. Then we found a pool in Martinsville we were training at.
“We got back (to Indiana) on July 4. Training started to resemble normal around the end of August. It was a long summer.â€
The 200 breaststroke field includes King’s training partner Annie Lazor. They will help each other, King says, even as they try to beat each other.
“It is comforting having someone from home next to you,†she says. “It’s not just in that comfort of her being there, but Annie and I can strategize races together.
“It’s fun. I have never been in a major international competition with a teammate in my event. It is very special, and I am going to live in the moment. I am very excited to race.â€
As for the competitiveness between the two, King says, “I like to think of it that we do want to beat the crap out of each other, but we don’t want anyone else to beat either of us.
To put it in another way, “We want to be 1-2,” King says, “we just want to be the 1 and not the 2.”
Ask her about the pressure surrounding last month’s U.S. Olympic Trials and you get the truth, not spin.
“The Trials are great,†she says. “You go in to make the team. Most people, you have to be all in at the Trials. For me, that’s not necessarily the case.
“My focus has always been the Olympics. It was like, ‘Let’s get through Trials and get the job done.’ The real show will be at the Olympics. That’s where my focus is.â€
In 2016, King didn’t make the Olympic 200 breaststroke finals. It burned her then. It burns her now.
“I’m ready to go. I want to prove myself in the 200. Five years ago, I watched the final from the stands. That won’t happen this time. I’m excited to have the race I know I can have.â€
If this excitement comes a year late because of the pandemic, King doesn’t care.
“It all worked out fine,†she says. “We’re all still going to the Olympics, so it’s all good.â€
The “we†consists of eight current or former Hoosiers who qualified for the Olympics. It’s 12 when adding IU swimmers competing for their native countries.
Specifically, it’s King, Lazor, and fellow swimmers Blake Pieroni, Michael Brinegar and Zach Apple, plus divers Andrew Capobianco Jessica Parratto, and Mike Hixon.
Hoosiers competing for other nations are Tomer Frankel (Israel), Bailey Andison (Canada), Vini Lanza (Brazil), and Marwan Elkamash (Egypt).
Besides Looze, IU diving coach Drew Johansen is the Olympic diving head coach for the third time.
In the Olympics of 2012 in London and 2016 in Rio, Johansen divers won a combined one gold, three silver, and three bronze medals.
“It’s just a tremendous honor,†Johansen says. “To be a head coach of an Olympic team once, I thought was going to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Here it is, the third time. You get named the head coach based on the performance of your athletes. So, it’s (Parratto and Capobianco) and their performances that gave me this honor.
“It’s a tremendous gift. The experience I bring to this team is only going to continue to help us have great performances.â€
As for Looze, who was a big reason why King won her 2016 gold medals, he says, “I’m humbled and grateful that we have really good coaches here and awesome swimmers. That’s what makes it possible.â€
Possibility brings responsibility.
“I don’t have any satisfaction yet,†Looze says, “because we still have the big one to go. That’s Tokyo.
“We’re going to be judged by what we do at the Games.â€
Adds Johansen: “They are poised to challenge anybody in the world.â€
King couldn’t agree more.
“I’m looking forward to some fast racing.â€
TROPICANA-EVANSVILLE IS PRESENTING SPONSOR OF DOWNTOWN FIREWORKS SHOW
Tropicana-Evansville is proud to be the Presenting Sponsor of Evansville’s largest public fireworks celebration, Fireworks on Ohio, returning on July 4, 2021. This signature summertime event will take place on the stretch of the Ohio River parallel to Riverside Drive in downtown Evansville.
Spectators can arrive in the area as soon as 6:00 p.m. on July 4, where food trucks and other activities will be available on Riverside Drive, from Court Street to Cherry Street.
The fireworks display will begin at approximately 9:15 p.m. The event is free to the public.
For over 25 years, Tropicana Evansville has been a regional entertainment destination on Evansville’s downtown riverfront. Tropicana’s casino is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week for guests 21 years of age and older.
HEALTH DEPARTMENT UPDATES STATEWIDE COVID-19 CASE COUNTS
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Student Journalists For The Student Run Radio Station Earn Awards From Indiana SPJ
Three University of Southern Indiana students were recognized for their reporting and broadcasting skills for 95.7 The Spin, USI’s student-run radio station, by the Indiana Society of Professional Journalists in the 2020 Best in Indiana Contest.
Cole Carter, a news and sports team member for The Spin from Carmi, Illinois, was awarded 1st Place in the Student Radio Sports Reporting category for his report on basketball attendance and the new Screaming Eagles Arena.
Nathaniel Barbee, of Wayne City, Illinois, was awarded 1st Place in the Student Radio News Reporting category for his report on how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted student tours at USI. Marina Current, News Director for The Spin from Oakland City, Indiana, received 3rd Place in the same category for her story on the overall impact COVID-19 has had on the University.
The 2020 Best in Indiana Journalism Awards are given annually by the Indiana Professional Chapter of the Society for Professional Journalists. This year’s award ceremony was held virtually due to the pandemic and can be viewed at www.indyprospj.org/awards.
For more information about 95.7 The Spin, visit their website at www.957thespin.com.
Stephens Named Academic All-District IV​​​​​​​
University of Southern Indiana senior infielder Kobe Stephens (Dale, Indiana) was named Academic All-District IV by the College Sports Information Directors of America. The award is the first for Stephens.
To be eligible for the CoSIDA Academic All-District, the student athlete must be a starter or important reserve with legitimate athletic credentials and at least a 3.3 cumulative grade point average (4.0 scale). They must have reached a sophomore athletic and academic standing at the institution and must have completed at least one full academic year at the institution.
Stephens, a sport management major and earned Academic All-GLVC honors, batted a career-best .358 in 42 games and 39 starts at shortstop and second base. He also posted a career-high 36 runs scored, 27 RBIs, and seven doubles.
The senior also recorded a career-high four hits against Lindenwood University and Quincy University, while driving in a career-best four RBIs at McKendree University. He had a team-best .500 batting average and five RBIs in the GLVC Tournament.
Stephens finished his career as a .283 hitter with 69 runs scored, and 56 RBIs in two seasons.
ELLIS PARK TO CELEBRATE MILITARY AND FIRST RESPONDERS THIS WEEKEND
ELLIS PARK TO CELEBRATE MILITARY AND FIRST RESPONDERS THIS WEEKEND
HENDERSON, KY (Thursday, July 1, 2021) — Starting today and extending through Sunday, Ellis Park Racing & Gaming will host a Military and First Responder Appreciation Weekend to celebrate those who serve our community and country. The weekend will be filled with live racing and live music as well as other fun activities and giveaways.
Ellis Park will be working in conjunction with Mission BBQ — an Evansville-based restaurant — on a giveaway for all current and former military personnel as well as first responders. The bucket giveaway will include a $20 gift certificate to Mission BBQ, a refillable sauce bottle, a coupon for a free sandwich, and a random assortment of refreshments. Those wishing to participate in the giveaway need only show a valid military or first responder ID. There will be a table set up at Ellis Park on July 1st and July 2nd from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. in the Clubhouse on the gaming floor. Winners will be selected on both days.
On Saturday, July 3rd between races, Ellis Park and Farm Boy meats will host a hot dog eating contest. Those who wish to participate can sign up on Ellis Park’s Facebook post announcing the contest. Only 10 spots are available and they will be selected on a first-come-first-serve basis. The contest is tentatively scheduled for 3 p.m.
Also on Saturday after the day’s racing is complete, Ellis Park will host live music presented by The Duke Boys — who will be making a stop at our facilities during their reunion tour. The concert, which will be held near the Ellis Park Beer Garden, is set to start at 7 p.m. after the final race of the day. Admission is free.
“We have a lot of exciting things going on at Ellis Park this weekend,†said General Manager Jeff Inman. “Come for the racing and stay for the entertainment!â€
The 99th season of world-class horse racing continues at Ellis Park through September 4th. The track is open daily for Historical Horse Racing gaming and simulcasting.
For more information regarding the racing schedule and upcoming events, please visit www.ellisparkracing.com.