Jul 11, 2024 By Chris Dugan 3 min read

The Evansville Otters have strung together seven consecutive winning seasons, and 10 straight non-losing campaigns, the longest such active streaks in the Frontier League.

If the Otters are unable to extend those streaks – they currently have a 21-33 record – the Wild Things will be a significant reason why as Washington won the first eight games against the Otters.

A ninth consecutive victory and third three-game series sweep of Evansville didn’t happen Thursday night as Washington was unable to protect an early three-run lead lost to the Otters, 5-4.

Washington, which had its seven-game winning streak end, led 3-0 after three innings but were held scoreless for the next four innings, until Tyreque Reed hit a solo homer in the eighth that made it 5-4.

The Otters used a pair of two-run innings – the fifth and seventh – to take a 4-3 lead and tacked on what proved to be an important insurance run in the eighth, which included a dropped third strike that extended the inning.

Washington pitcher Dariel Fregio made the start after Zach Kirby (5-4, 2.47) was scratched because of a back ailment. Fregio was moved up one day in the rotation.

Fregio retired the first 12 Evansville batters, taking a perfect game into the fifth inning. That’s when the Otters strung together four consecutive hits – three doubles and a single – and scored two runs.

Fregio was replaced by Christian James (0-1) in the seventh and the Otters used a broken-bat single and Baltimore chop hit to put runners on first and third with no outs. A ground ball enabled Washington to catch the lead runner in a rundown for the inning’s first out. After a strikeout, Jake Green, the No. 9 hitter in the Otters’ batting order, walked with two outs and Giovanni Digiacomo hit a two-run single that put the Otters up, 4-3.

Washington forged a 2-0 lead in the first inning when Tommy Caufield hit a two-run homer, his eighth of the season, high over the video board beyond right field. It came off Evansville starter Parker Brahms (3-5).

Carson Clowers walked, stole second base and scored on a single by Ethan Wilder in the third inning, giving Washington a 3-0 lead.

Evansville closer Michael McAvene, who blew a save Wednesday night, gave up two hits in the bottom of the ninth inning but picked up his sixth save.

Extra bases

Washington manager Tom Vaeth was ejected by home plate umpire Kyle Eastman in the middle of the seventh inning. … Washington activated left-handed relief pitcher Ryan Munoz from the 7-day injured list to get back to the league limit of 24 active players. … Left fielder Evan Berkey changed his uniform number from 14 to 10. … Evansville stole five bases in the game and 14 in the series. … In the second inning, Berkey was hit by a pitch for the 17th time this season. The Wild Things’ franchise single-season record is 18 hit by pitches, held by three players, Joe Cuervo (2002), Brad Hensler (2002) and Shain Stoner (2012).