Nick Oddo hit a walk-off homer for the Schaumburg Boomers in the first contest but a five-run third inning in game two enabled the Evansville Otters to split a doubleheader with the Boomers on Sunday night.
The first contest saw Ryan Middendorf and Marty Anderson engage in a classic pitcher’s duel. Middendorf tossed 5.2 shutout innings in his second start of the year. Evansville nabbed a 1-0 lead with a solo homer in the top of the seventh. Luke Becker notched a one-out single in the bottom of the inning to set the stage for Oddo’s heroics. Oddo worked the count full before sending his first homer over the wall in right to give the Boomers the 2-1 victory.
Schaumburg held leads of 1-0 and 3-1 in the second contest, but Evansville plated five runs in the top of the third to take the lead. Quincy Nieporte singled home the first run of the game in the first and a run scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the second before a sacrifice fly from Chase Dawson. Brett Milazzo singled home a run in the third to draw the Boomers within 6-4 but Evansville added two in sixth and one in the seventh to lead 9-4. Nieporte knocked home two more runs with a single in the bottom of the inning, but the Boomers split the doubleheader and the series after dropping the 9-4 decision.
Darrell Thompson earned the win in the opener. Stephen Chamblee suffered the loss in the second game as the Boomers used six pitchers. Nieporte and Milazzo each tallied a pair of hits in the second contest.
The Boomers (5-6) take Monday off before welcoming the Joliet Slammers on Tuesday night at 6:30 p.m. RHP Kyle Arjona (1-1, 7.27) makes his third start against RHP Austin Shea (1-1, 9.45) on $1 Doug Night featuring $1 tickets for anyone named Doug and $1 hot dogs for everyone. Visit boomersbaseball.com for tickets and information or call 847-461-3695.