Shaun Cooper delivered three extra-base hits Sunday, but the Evansville Otters scored five times in the third inning on their way to a 6-1 win over the Florence Freedom.
Florence (38-46) got on the scoreboard in a hurry, plating a run just two batters into the ballgame. Cooper delivered an RBI triple to deep centerfield, scoring Daniel Fraga and giving Florence a 1-0 lead. Cooper finished the day 3-for-4 with two triples, a double, and an RBI.
After Zach Wendorf stranded four runners in his first two innings, Evansville (47-36) took the lead in the third. A pair of errors put the two men on base before a walk loaded the bases.
A sacrifice fly tied the score and a single put the Otters ahead 2-1. Denzel Richardson came up next and sneaked a ball over the wall in right for a three-run home run, sending Evansville out in front 5-1. All five runs in the inning were unearned against Wendorf.
Patrick McGrath pitched very well as a reliever, tossing 3 2/3 innings of one-hit, scoreless baseball. Evan Bickett finished off the seventh with a strikeout.
Evansville added one more in the eighth off of TJ Bozeman and cruised to the 6-1 win.
Cooper powered the Florence offense, while Fraga, Javier Marticorena, and Isaac Wenrich recorded the team’s other three hits. The Freedom left five men in scoring position, including four at third base in the loss.
Richardson’s home run was the big hit for Evansville, but starter Hunter Ackerman was the star, tossing 7 2/3 innings of one-run baseball (six hits, no walks, five strikeouts).
The Freedom begin a series with Southern Illinois on Tuesday at 7:05 p.m. Jeremy Gooding (7-6, 3.80 ERA) will take the hill for Florence against Jarett Miller (8-3, 2.40 ERA).
From Freedom Communications