Otters Sweep River City, End Season on Extra Innings Walk-Off Win
Published on September 5, 2013 under Frontier League (FL)
Evansville Otters News Release
The Evansville Otters (51-45) ended their regular season on a 10th inning walk-off RBI double from Ryan Kresky, his fifth walk-off of the season, in the come-from-behind 6-5 win over River City.
Evansville has now swept River City, topping the Rascals in all nine meetings this season. The last time Evansville accomplished the feat they beat Gateway, Kenosha, and Mid Missouri all four games to none in 2003.
The Otters also had 4,516 fans in attendance for the win, giving them a Frontier League best 3,200 fans per game this season.
Evansville took a 3-0 lead in the first inning after John Schultz hit a leadoff home run, his first homer since July 12. The Otters added an RBI Frank Martinez triple and a sacrifice fly from Chris Elder as well. The Otters turned three double plays over the first three innings but River City rallied back to tie the game on a Will Block RBI single in the fourth.
The teams then stayed scoreless until the ninth inning when an unearned run came across for River City. Evansville trailed 5-4 at the time but tied the game in the bottom of the inning. Closer Gabe Shaw was vying for a Frontier League single season record 27th save but Evansville evened the score on a Elder double to left-center field.
Zielinski left after 9.0 innings for Evansville, falling shy of the Otters single season victory record of 10. He did record the most strikeouts this season in the Frontier League (114).
Reliever Anthony Collazo allowed a first pitch home run to Steve Carillo in the top of the 10th but Evansville surged back. Down 5-4, the Otters got a leadoff James Mallard hit by pitch. He would be lifted for pinch runner Taylor Black who stole second base and scored the tying run on a Schultz single, his third hit of the night. He finished a double shy of the cycle. Even at five, the Otters then won the game on Kresky's walk-off gap double to left field. It was thrown in by center fielder Curran Redal and the throw was just late as Schultz slide in safely.
Six Otters recorded multi-hit games in the win, their fourth straight victory. Evansville now enters the offseason on a four game winning streak and have recorded the most wins since 2005 (52-43).
Frontier League Stories from September 5, 2013
- Otters Sweep River City, End Season on Extra Innings Walk-Off Win - Evansville Otters
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- ThunderBolts Close Season with 6-2 Win - Windy City ThunderBolts
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- Otters End Regular Season with Historic Evening at Bosse Field - Evansville Otters
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