Otters Sweep the Slammers, Win 7-4
June 7, 2015 - Frontier League (FL)
Evansville Otters News Release
Joliet, IL- Efrain Nieves was solid out on the mound for the Evansville Otters (15-6) and Shayne Houck homered for the second game in a row and drove in four runs as the Otters defeated the Joliet Slammers (8-13) 7-4 to complete the sweep.
It was a bit of a rocky start for the Otters as Nieves allowed an earned run in the bottom of the first inning and the defense failed him in the bottom of the second, resulting in an unearned run and an Otters deficit of 2-0 after two innings.
But Jaime Del Valle jumpstarted the third inning with a single and Cory Urquhart followed with one of his own to put runners at first and second with nobody out. Ronnie Richardson sacrificed the two over before Kurt Wertz Jr. cut the deficit in half with a double deep down the left field line. Then it was the Slammers turn for their defense to fail them.
Houck hit a dribbler to first, but Adam Giacalone charged the ball and attempted to throw out Urquhart racing towards home. His throw sailed up the third baseline, getting by the catcher and allowing both runners to score and putting the Otters in the lead 3-2. Although Nik Balog was retired in the next at bat, Chris Sweeney muscled a single out to right center, pushing the Otters ahead 4-2.
The Otters would come right back in their next at bats, again on the strength of the bat of Shayne Houck. Houck approached the plate with two runners on and turned on a pitch, hooking it into the corner and left, plating two more for the Otters and producing a 6-2 lead.
Two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning cut the lead to 6-4 for the Otters. Efrain Nieves was sent back out in the seventh inning and retired the first two batters, but allowed a runner to reach and was replaced with Connor Little. Little came into the game last night with the bases loaded and one out and proceeded to strike out the next to batters to escape the jam, making him 5-for-5 stranding inherited runners on the season. Tonight was the same story. Little took the ball and induced a popout to second to get the Otters out of the inning with the 6-4 lead and making him 6-for-6 on the season stranding inherited runners.
The Otters were looking for an insurance run in the ninth inning and grabbed one, again thanks to Shayne Houck. Houck took a hanging 2-2 slider and pummeled it over the left field wall for his sixth home run of the season and second in as many nights.
It was Edgar Lopez turn to take the ball in the bottom of the ninth inning and for the sixth time in as many chances, Lopez was up to the task, retiring the side and order and finishing off the sweep of the slammers.
Efrain Nieves improved to 3-1 on the season while firing 6.2 innings and allowing just three earned runs. Houck drove in four runs in the game, giving him seven in the series to go along with six runs scored. John Schultz collected three hits in a 3-for-4 night with a double and Chris Sweeney's RBI gave him four in the series.
The Otters will not be back home until next Wednesday when the Otters play a double header against the Normal Cornbelters with the first game scheduled to start at 5:35 CDT P.M.
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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Frontier League Stories from June 7, 2015
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