Jul 19, 2024 2 min read

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Pavin Parks hit the first pitch of the bottom of the 10th inning for a two-run walk-off homer as the Evansville Otters rallied for a 3-2 win over the Wild Things on Friday night at Bosse Field.

Parks’ home run came off Washington closer Gyeongju Kim (3-3).

The Wild Things squandered a chance to add to their lead in the Frontier League’s West Division. Second-place Lake Erie lost 6-3 to Florence.

Evansville trailed 1-0 in the eighth inning before beginning its comeback.

Parks hit a double in the eighth off Washington starter Dariel Fregio, who had an excellent outing, and moved to third on a flyout to deep right centerfield. Parks raced home on a sacrifice fly by Mason White that tied the score at 1-1.

The score remained 1-1 into the 10th inning. Washington’s Andrew Czech began the inning on second base as the tiebreaker runner. After Brandon McIlwain was hit by the first pitch of the inning from Evansville reliever Jon Beymer (4-1), Washington was unable to advance the runners with a bunt. Ricardo Sanchez, however, hit an RBI single up the middle to score Czech and give the Wild Things a short-lived 2-1 lead.

Behmer and starter Parker Brahms held Washington to five hits and did not issue a walk.

Washington took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Tyreque Reed’s single to right centerfield scored Caleb McNeely from second base.

Fregio allowed one run on four hits over 7 2/3 innings. He struck out five and did not walk a batter.