Otters lose to Kings
Published on June 23, 2006 under Frontier League (FL)
Evansville Otters News Release
Kalamazoo, MI-Leading 7-3 going to the bottom of the ninth, the Evansville Otters (13-15) were quite confident that their four game losing streak had come to an end. The Kalamazoo Kings (15-13) scored five times in the ninth off Evansville's relievers who'd previously not allowed an earned run in over thirty innings of work to send the crowd of 3,891 fans into a frenzy at Homer Stryker Field on Friday night.
Right away, it was apparent the ninth was going to be troubled as Kyle Kmiecik doubled to center field off Donny Langdon to start the inning. Trevor Eastman, who was 2-22 coming into Friday's game extended his perfect 4-4 night with a double to deep left center to cut the lead to 7-4. After a grounder to short moved the runner to third, Langdon appeared to strike out Joseph Ramos on a 1-2 pitch with a fastball that looked to catch the inside corner to the right-hander. The pitch was called a ball, and the next delivery was sent over the wall in left-center to make it 7-6. That proved to be the end of the night for Langdon, and Evansville brought in their closer Mike Bille.
Bille (1-2) promptly allowed a broken bat single to Ian Church to put the tying runner aboard for last year's league MVP Pete Pirman. Pirman hit a grounder up the middle that Frank Scott made a phenomenal effort to stab, and threw to first for the out for the second out of the inning, moving Church to second. Designated hitting Justin Carroll popped an 0-1 pitch into foul territory down the first base line, but Jeff Goldbach could not reach it and catcher Ty Bubalo never saw it, even though the ball landed just ten to twelve feet from where he stood. On the 1-2 pitch, Carroll drilled the Bille offering over the left-center field fence for the game winning hit.
The homer marked the second time in the Otters' road trip that Evansville lost a game in walk off fashion.
Leading up to that point in the game, it certainly looked like a good night for the visitors. Evansville scored seven runs on eleven hits, and appeared to be cruising. Down 1-0 in the third, Jeff Goldbach doubled home a pair to give Evansville their first lead of the road trip and break a twenty-five inning scoreless streak. Their lead would not last long, as the Kings tied it up in the fourth, and took the lead in the fifth 3-2. That's when Evansville busted out for a big inning.
Goldbach started with a first pitch single, and after Beau Blacken was hit by a pitch Matt Edwards stepped to the plate and delivered one of his four singles on the night, this one into right center field to knot the game at three. Mike Spry singled to score a run and put runners at first and second for Rickey Clinton. Rickey tried to bunt the first pitch, which tipped off his bat and hit him in the nose, breaking it. Clinton came out of the game, replaced by Ty Bubalo who struck out a few pitches later.
The Otters would go on to plate a few more on a bases loaded walk and an error by Kmiecik to take a 6-3 lead. They would add onto that advantage in the next frame, as Beau Blacken homered on the first pitch he saw over the left-field wall to give the team their biggest lead of the night 7-3.
Landon Brazell did not have his best stuff of the year, but certainly pitched well enough to get the win as it was 7-3 when he left the contest after six and a third innings, allowing two earned runs on seven hits while walking three and striking out a pair. Landon left in the seventh with the bases loaded and one out, but Ryan Burnau for the second time in the series came in with the sacks packed, and pitched out of the jam to avoid any damage.
Edwards' four hit game was the second time this year that an Otter had that many knocks, in a game that Matt was not expected to start due to a slight hamstring strain.
The blown four run lead was the second time this year the Otters had given up that large of a lead, dating back to opening night at Florence.
Otter Tracks: Clinton expects to be in the starting lineup before long, visiting the hospital in Kalamazoo just a few minutes after suffering the injury to his nose.
Frontier League Stories from June 23, 2006
- Two Run Rally Ends with Bases Loaded Walk as Rascals Fall to ThunderBolts 4-3 - River City Rascals
- Thunderbolts walk off with a win - Windy City ThunderBolts
- Chillicothe shuts out RiverHawks, 4-0 - Rockford RiverHawks
- Otters lose to Kings - Evansville Otters
- Grizzlies lose third straight - Gateway Grizzlies
- Homers power Beach Bums - Traverse City Beach Bums
- Local Charities to Win Big at Champion Window Field - Florence Y'alls
- Beach Bums Trade Outfielder Kevin White - Traverse City Beach Bums
- Florence Swept by Rockford - OSC Original by Andrew Kappes
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