Quincy Nieporte hit a go-ahead three-run homer in the top of the third inning as the Schaumburg Boomers rallied from an early 3-0 deficit to upend the Evansville Otters 8-6 in the opener of a six-game roadtrip on Friday night in Indiana.
Evansville struck for three runs in the first inning against starter Aaron Rozek before the Boomers began to rally in the second. Angelo Gumbs and Luke Becker singled to open the inning. Matt Bottcher drove home the first run with a groundout and Gian Martellini added an RBI single. Alec Craig and Chase Dawson singled in front of Nieporte in the third before blasting his third homer of the year over the wall in right. Evansville pulled within 5-4 by scoring in the bottom of the inning but Schaumburg tacked on two more in the fourth and grabbed a needed insurance run in the eighth.
Rozek earned the win, striking out seven in 5.2 innings. Thomas Nicoll recorded a strikeout in the sixth with the tying run at third and the go-ahead run at second to escape the inning with the lead intact. Darrell Thompson recorded the first save of the season by striking out a pair in the ninth. The Boomers finished with 10 hits as every member of the lineup reached base at least once. Bottcher has posted a hit and driven in a run in each of his first four games as a professional.
The Boomers (8-7) continue the series in Indiana on Saturday night at 6:35 p.m. RHP Ryan Middendorf (0-1, 1.42) takes the ball against LHP Anthony Arias (0-0, 6.75). The Boomers will return home on June 18 to begin a homestand full of events. Visit www.boomersbaseball.com for tickets and information or call 847-461-3695.