Otters Complete Comeback this Time
July 23, 2015 - Frontier League (FL)
Evansville Otters News Release
Traverse City, MI- Last night the Evansville Otters (38-19) came back twice from two different deficits, but could not complete the comeback. Tonight, after finding themselves down 2-0 after five innings, they again came back to tie the game, but this time they were able to gain the lead and finish the comeback, defeating the Traverse City Beach Bums (33-22) by a final score of 6-2.
Efrain Nieves had the start for the Otters and needed just 12 pitches to retire the side in the bottom of the first, but after getting the first two outs in the second, his missed his location to Yazy Arbelo, and Arbelo blasted it out to right for a 1-0 Beach Bums Lead. The Beach Bums extended the advantage in the fifth inning on another solo shot, this one by Brandon Jacobs to left to move up 2-0.
Their lead did not last long though. In fact, it lasted two more batters. Josh Allen led off the top of the sixth inning by getting hit for the 14th time this season, which set the table for the reigning Frontier League MVP, Shayne Houck. After working the count full, Houck took the 3-2 pitch and clobbered it over the left field wall, tying the game at 2-2.
Tommy Danczyk replaced Nieves in the sixth inning and kept the Beach Bums off the board for two consecutive frames, giving the Otters a chance to take the lead in the eighth, which is exactly what they did.
Houck ripped a single up the middle to begin the eighth inning and Dane Phillips followed with an infield before Chris Sweeney singled hard to center to load the bases with nobody out. Nik Balog needed just one pitch to give the Otters their first lead of the game; hitting a deep sacrifice to center, which was deep enough to move every runner up 90 feet, putting the Otters up 3-2. After a strikeout, Jeremy Nowak came to the plate, and despite being 0-for-18 with runners in scoring position up to that point of the season, Nowak scorched a ball past the dive of the second basemen, plating both runners from second and third and pushing the Otters' advantage to 5-2.
Connor Little came up in the bottom of the eighth inning and ran right through the three Beach Bums he faced on just ten pitches. In the top of the ninth the Otters took advantage of a Beach Bum error to score their sixth run of the game and Little struck out the first two batters in the ninth before getting a flyout to right to close out the game.
It was Little's second save in as many chances and he threw just one ball in his two innings of work while striking out three. Shayne Houck's home run was his ninth of the season, which leads the Otters, as do his 36 RBI. Tommy Danczyk picked up his first win of the season and is now 1-0 for his two innings of relief work where he allowed just one hit.
The Otters return to Evansville and will finish off their week of baseball against the Washington Wild Things with games tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday. Tomorrow's game will start at 6:35 pm CDT with the pregame show with Mike Radomski, Bill McKeon and Jake Donnelly starting at 6:15 pm CDT. Fans can purchase tickets by calling the team's front office at 812.435.8686 or online at EvansvilleOtters.com. For all of the latest information on the Otters, log on to EvansvilleOtters.com or follow the team's twitter account @EvilleOtters.
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