Otters Avoid Series Sweep, Beat Crushers 7-3

After a 14 inning lost in the second game of the series against the Lake Erie Crushers Sunday, the Otters avoid their first series sweep and stay one game back out of the East Division lead.

Pitcher Preston Olson was solid yet again in his 10th start of the season, allowing just three runs in seven innings pitched while retiring the last 12 of 13 batters he faced. He received the run support he needed from Kolin Conner, Jeremy Nowak, and Phillip Wilson, each of whom were responsible for batting in two runs.

Outfielder John Schultz hammered his eighth home run of the season early in first inning to give Evansville a quick 1-0 lead before the Crushers answered in the bottom of the inning with two runs of their own.

The Crushers kept it close through the next few innings finding themselves down 4-3 in the top of the sixth before outfielder Jeremy Nowack belted a two-run homer to put the Otters up 6-3. A RBI single in the top of the ninth by Wilson gave Evansville their seventh and final run of the night for the win.

The win keeps Evansville in the hunt for the division lead as it puts them one game back behind the Washington Wild Things who are in the midst of a two-day break and will return to action tomorrow night at Schaumburg.

The Otters get a well deserved two-day break before coming home on Thursday for a five game stretch beginning with a double-header against the Joliet Slammers. First pitch scheduled for 5:35pm.