EVANSVILLE, Ind. — The Gateway Grizzlies’ four-game winning streak crashed to a halt Tuesday night in a 6-0, series-opening defeat at the hands of the Evansville Otters at Bosse Field.
Gateway (37-54) fell behind in the first inning and never scored; the Grizzlies dropped to 2-16 this season in games following an off-day.
Andrew Daniel and Wesley Jones had the Grizzlies’ only multi-hit games. Jones was 3-for-4 with three singles and Daniel was 2-for-3 with a double and a walk.
Evansville (54-37) improved on its league-best record and pulled a full game ahead of Florence for the West Division lead. Coupled with a Southern Illinois loss Tuesday, the Otters’ magic number to clinch a playoff spot is down to two.
After the Otters scored a pair of runs on four straight singles in the first inning, they registered only two more hits (both singles) over their remaining seven innings of offense. They added a run each in the second, fourth, seventh, and eighth innings; all four runs came in without a hit in their respective frames.
Grizzlies pitchers walked nine batters and hit two others with pitches in eight innings. Gateway also made two errors. Five of the Otters’ six runs were earned.
Chris Carden (7-5) allowed four runs (three earned) over four innings and took the loss. Brandon Madderntossed a pair of scoreless innings with two strikeouts in his Grizzlies debut.
Gateway and Evansville will continue their three-game series with another 6:35 p.m. CDT first pitch Wednesday.
