EVANSVILLE, Ind. – For the second night in a row, the Evansville Otters gave up a late lead to the Schaumburg Boomers and dropped the series with a 4-3 defeat at Bosse Field on Wednesday night.

The Otters (13-22) allowed just two hits and no runs going into the eighth inning but the Boomers (22-12) found late life to steal another victory.

In the third inning, Giovanni DiGiacomo picked up his first base hit in an Otters uniform with a single. Mason White later brought him in with a double to left-center field.

DiGiacomo notched another hit in the infield to lead off the fifth frame and David Mendham plated him, roping a ball to left field to make it a 2-0 game.

Evansville scored their final run in the seventh inning. Logan Brown reached on an error and later, White tallied his third hit of the game to bring home the run and make it 3-0.

Schaumburg then went on to score four unanswered runs in the eighth and ninth innings, with a trio coming in the final frame.

The first three pitchers for the Otters showed exemplary work on the rubber. Starter Ryan Wiltse, Chip Korbacher and Leoni De La Cruz all threw multiple innings of scoreless baseball, silencing the Boomers bats.

Michael McAvene struck out the only batter he saw in the eighth inning to strand two runners in scoring position, after Grif Hughes surrendered one to begin the frame. McAvene (0-3) took the loss when he allowed Schaumburg to take the lead in the ninth. Mitch White (2-1) earned the win after pitching a scoreless eighth for the Boomers.

White led the Otters offense with three hits and two RBI. Mendham and DiGiacomo also nabbed multi-hit games.

Looking to avoid the sweep, the Otters will conclude the three-game series tomorrow against the Boomers at 6:35 p.m. CT. Coverage is available on the Otters Digital Network and FloBaseball.

Josh Matheny finished second in the men’s 200-meter breaststroke, all but punching his ticket to Paris Wednesday night in Lucas Oil Stadium.

• Matheny touched in 2:08.86 behind Penn’s Matt Fallon (2:06.54). With the result, Matheny is eligible for selection to the U.S. Olympic Team and will likely receive that selection later this week.
• Lilly King reached the final of the women’s 200-meter breaststroke in 2:22.45, looking to lock up her second event in Paris. King fell behind Alex Walsh at the 150-meter mark but closed in 36.28 to come from behind and touch in first by 36 hundredths.
• King will be the No. 2 seed in Thursday’s final, only behind Kate Douglass (2:21.23).
• Mariah Denigan was honored at Lucas Oil Stadium as a member of the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team with two other open water swimmers.
• A swimming-meet-record 22,209 spectators attended Wednesday night’s session in Indianapolis.
• Next session: Ten Hoosiers will swim in three preliminary events on Thursday. The morning session kicks off at 11 a.m. ET.

Results

Women’s 1,500-meter freestyle final

• 8. Mariah Denigan – 16:34.19

Women’s 200-meter breaststroke semifinal

• 2. Lilly King – 2:22.45 (Qualified for Final)

Men’s 200-meter breaststroke final

• 2. Josh Matheny – 2:08.86

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The Evansville Otters have signed former University of Evansville pitcher Shane Harris ahead of tonight’s game.

“Shane proved he was ready for professional baseball during the Aces’ postseason run,” Otters field manager Andy McCauley said. “We are excited to see him make the jump to professional baseball.”

Harris grew up in Poseyville, IN and attended North Posey High School. He was the No. 4 prospect in Indiana according to Perfect Game and set the single-season and career strikeouts record at North Posey. He was a class 2A All-State selection as a senior and signed with Louisville for his first year of college baseball.

He did not play because of injury and transferred to Evansville where he would spend the next four seasons with the Aces.

The right-hander strung together his best season in his final year, boasting a 3.82 ERA in 27 appearances this spring. He wore many hats as a pitcher, taking on roles of starting, middle relief, long relief and closing. He garnered 75.1 innings as a senior while striking out 72.

Recently, he saw action in three games during the regionals against East Carolina and pitched in the ninth inning to send the club to the NCAA Super Regionals against Tennessee. Harris saw the Volunteers in the series opener and surrendered three runs in as many innings.

In his final collegiate appearances, he tossed a scoreless inning against the No. 1 team in the country in the Aces’ lone win during the series.

The Otters continue a three-game set with the Schaumburg Boomers at 6:35 p.m. CT and coverage is available on the Otters Digital Network and FloBaseball.