EVANSVILLE, Ind. – In the first game that featured the international tiebreaker rule in the 100 year history of Bosse Field, the Evansville Otters (45-24) defeated the Southern Illinois Miners (45-25) 5-4 in 12 innings. Evansville won the game on a Dean Wilson bunt and subsequent fielding error from Southern Illinois, scoring pinch-runner Kurt Wertz Jr. and handing the Otters sole possession of first place in the Frontier League East Division.
Down 2-0, Evansville cut the deficit in half with a third inning leadoff home run from infielder Cory Urquhart. Evansville pitcher Preston Olson then had to exit the game with an injury in the fourth inning.
Trailing by a run, the Otters tied the game in the fourth on an RBI double from outfielder Jeremy Nowak.
Even at two, the Miners inched ahead with a run producing bloop single from infielder Steve Marino.
Behind by a run, outfielder John Schultz deadlocked the contest at three with a leadoff home run to right field in the sixth.
Otters reliever Shane Weedman kept the game close, yielding just one run in his 3.1 innings of work. He did allow back to back walks in the eighth but fellow pitcher Connor Little worked around a bases loaded jam with three straight outs. Little also pitched a scoreless ninth to force extra innings. Tied at three, closer Edgar Lopez then threw a scoreless 10th inning.
The international tiebreaker rule came into effect in the 11th with each team placing a runner at second with no outs. The Miners jumped ahead 4-3 with a Toby DeMello single in the top half of the 11th but the Otters tied the game on an RBI single from infielder Josh Allen in the bottom of the inning. Southern Illinois failed to score in the 12th as Evansville walked off with the win in the bottom half of the inning.
Lopez (1-0) earns the win 3.0 innings of one run baseball (none earned). The Otters bullpen threw 8.1 innings allowing just one unearned run in the victory. Allen, Schultz, and Nowak each totaled two hits each.
The Otters continue their six game homestand on Saturday, August 8 with the middle game of the series against the Miners. First pitch is set for 6:35 p.m. CDT at historic Bosse Field. 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.
