By: Braeden Jones
EVANSVILLE, IN – In a game where both teams had double-digit hits and double-digit runners left on base, the Joliet Slammers (30-42) also had double-digit scoring as they beat the Evansville Otters (42-30) in the first of this four-game series with a score of 11-5 on Tuesday.
The Slammers got on the board first and in a big way in the top of the 2nd inning. After the first two batters of this half-inning got out, Joliet locked in to get seven straight batters aboard. Tyler Cerny started off the rally for his team with his first triple of the season, quickly standing 90 feet away from home plate. He would make it there shortly after when Chris Davis hit an RBI single to score the first runner of the day. Brandon Heidal would advance Davis with a single, and an RBI single from Ian Battipaglia brought Davis home. Both Heidal and Battipaglia would score off a 2-RBI double from Patrick Ward, and an RBI single from Jackson Valera brought Ward all the way around as well. The Slammers found early and strong hitting to start off in the lead at 5-0.
The Otters didn’t have an early answer, so Joliet put one more run on the scorecard. To lead off the top of the 4th, Ward stepped up to the plate and hit a solo home run out to center field. That moved the lead for the Slammers just a bit farther out at 6-0.
Evansville finally found some runs in the bottom of the 6th inning. After Logan Brown and Marcos Gonzalez both led off the half-inning with singles, both of them would score when Blake Barthol got a 2-RBI double. That got the score to 6-2.
The Slammers quickly stole a run back in the top of the 7th. After the bases got loaded with a Peyton Carr single, a Jackson Beaman walk, and a hit by pitch on Kadon Morton, a walk on Battipaglia gave Carr a free score. That put the score slightly more on Joliet’s side at 7-2.
The Otters wanted that one run back and got it off a singles frenzy in the bottom of the 7th inning. Three straight singles from Jon Ponder, Amani Jones and Brown let Gonzalez hit a single of his own to score Ponder. While that did happen with no outs and the bases still loaded, a clutch double play from Joliet’s Battipaglia stopped any more scoring, leaving the score at 7-3.
The Slammers came into the top of the 8th looking to close down this game. Blake Berry would be walked as this half-inning’s leadoff batter, and he soon found himself jogging around the bases when Valera came up and hit a 2-run homer. That all happened with no outs, which meant some more scoring for Joliet. Carr would get his second single of the night and quickly scored when Morton got an RBI double. Morton was rewarded for this hit and came around to score once Heidal connected for an RBI double of his own. The Slammers were looking to leave the Otters in the dust as they now led 11-3.
Evansville wouldn’t give up so easily, however, as they found a bit of life in the bottom of the 8th inning. This half-inning started with a walk on Dennis Pierce, a single on Barthol, and a walk on Mark Black to load the bases with no outs. The Otters then became the team to get a free run when Ponder was also walked. Jones came up to the plate right after and put a ball in play to score Barthol, but it came at the cost of two outs as the Slammers’ Battipaglia once again produced a clutch double play. That momentum carried on the pitching side for Joliet as Brown went down swinging to close the bottom of the 8th. That left the score at 11-5.
That was all the scoring either side saw, meaning the Slammers had gotten the 11-5 victory at Bosse Field.
With Joliet finally hitting 30 wins on the season on the back of a four-game winning streak, they will look to move that streak to six through the doubleheader they will play on Wednesday against Evansville. Now sitting with 30 losses on the year, the Otters will aim to take this series right back with a pair of short-game victories during the doubleheader on Wednesday.
