Washington Digs Too Big a Hole Early in Loss
EVANSVILLE, In. – The Washington Wild Things (33-27) fell to the Evansville Otters (34-26) by a score of 13-8 in a back-and-forth rubber match July 23. Brandon Bixler (0-3) started on the bump, but was quickly relieved by Aaron Burns in the second inning. Burns pitched 4.2 innings of one-run baseball while giving up only five hits and matching his third-longest appearance of the season.
The scoring started early as, for the second day in a row, left fielder James Harris led off the game with a towering home run for the Wild Things. This lead would not last long though as the Otters plated two runs in their first turn at bat. Second baseman Josh Allen scored on a single from designated hitter Dane Philips and then Philips came home as left fielder John Schultz doubled later in the frame, putting the score at 2-1. Evansville added some cushion in the bottom of the second by way of a pair of two-run homers from shortstop Christopher Riopedre and Philips as well as an RBI single from Schultz, giving the Otters a six-run advantage heading into the third.
In the top of the fourth, third baseman Mike Hill was able to get one back for Washington as he hit his 10th homer of the season. The Wild Things continued scoring in their following at bat as doubles from first baseman Kane Sweeney and designated hitter Bralin Jackson pushed three runs across, decreasing the deficit to 7-5. Evansville then earned an insurance run as it hit its third homer of the game, this time a solo shot from Allen in the home half of the sixth inning.
The Wild Things cut into the lead once again in the top of the seventh as Jackson singled home center fielder Rashad Brown, and then was plated himself on a triple from right fielder Hector Roa, reducing the deficit to one before the seventh-inning stretch. Evansville quickly earned a few more tallies as Riopedre singled in a pair in the bottom frame, and third baseman Ryan Long notched an RBI single, putting them up 11-7. Washington kept fighting back in the next frame as Harris scored catcher Kyle Pollock on a bloop single, but the Otters answered shortly thereafter as Chris Sweeney hit a two-run homer in their turn-at-bat, putting the Wild Things down by the final deficit of five.
The Wild Things return to Washington for a short three-game homestand against the Normal CornBelters, with a double-header set for Wednesday, starting at 6:05 p.m.
