SAUGET, Ill. – Playing for the final time at Grizzlies Ballpark this season, the Evansville Otters dropped the rubber match to the Gateway Grizzlies 5-3 on Sunday night.
Highlighting the game for the Otters (33-44), Dakota Phillips passed John Schultz as the all-time RBI leader in club history with a three-run homer in the eighth inning. He now sits at 223 career RBI, but the moment was bittersweet with his hit producing the only runs of the game for Evansville before they gave back the lead late.
The Grizzlies (46-31) plated the game’s first runs in the third inning. They scored one unearned on an error and led 2-0. Adding in the fourth frame, a solo shot extended the advantage.
No scoring occurred until Phillips’s big shot to right, which tied the game at three. During the home eighth, after a leadoff walk, Gateway jumped back in front with a two-run homer to finalize the scoring.
Jon Beymer (4-2) pitched out of the bullpen and took the loss. Despite not giving up a hit, he exited the game with an inherited base runner who ended up being the winning run. He went two and two-thirds innings in a strong performance.
Although he gave up the lead on the home run, Matt Hickey (4-2) took the win, and former Otter Leoni De La Cruz (Sv. 10) picked up the save.
Matching Gateway, the Otters had six hits and were led by Gary Mattis in a two-hit performance.
Due to a previous postponement, the Otters will play during a regularly scheduled off-day tomorrow against the Schaumburg Boomers to open up a five-game series. Two seven-inning contests will be played in a twin bill on Monday beginning at 5:30 p.m. CT. Coverage is available on the Otters Digital Network and FloBaseball.
The Evansville Otters are the 2006 and 2016 Frontier League champions.
The Otters play all home games at historic Bosse Field, located at 23 Don Mattingly Way in Evansville, Ind. Stay up to date with the Evansville Otters by visiting evansvilleotters.com, or follow the Otters on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
For more information, visit evansvilleotters.com or call (812) 435-8686.
