A complete game performance from Randy Wynne led the Evansville Otters to a 7-1 series opening victory over the Joliet Slammers on Tuesday night at Bosse Field in front of 1,780 fans.
Jeff Gardner put the Otters on the board in the first inning with an RBI single.
Hunter Cullen then added another run in the second, when he scored from third base after a throwing error from Joliet catcher Trey Fulton.
Travis Harrison led off the fourth with a solo homer, his seventh of the year, to make it 3-0. Then with Gardner at second, Zach Welz singled to left and an error from the left fielder RJ Thompson allowed Gardner to score to make it 4-0 Evansville.
Ryan Long blasted his seventh homer of the year, a solo shot, to make it 5-0.
Joliet got a run back in the top of the seventh on an RBI groundout off the bat of Thompson.
Austin Bush got that run back and one more with a two-run single in the bottom of the seventh to put Evansville ahead 7-1.
That would be more than enough run support for Wynne, who tossed his third complete game of the season in earning his fifth win of the year. Wynne allowed just one run on six hits while striking out four. For the seventh start this season, the righty did not concede a walk.
Corey Kimber takes the loss for Joliet. Kimber went five innings, allowing five runs, three earned, on nine hits while walking two and striking out five.
The Otters and Slammers will face off again tomorrow night at 6:35 p.m. at Bosse Field for the second game of the series.
