BARRETT, GRIZZLIES SHUT OUT EVANSVILLE
EVANSVILLE, Ind. — Jordan Barrett fired seven scoreless innings and Dustin Woodcock and Connor Owings both homered Friday night in a 3-0 Gateway Grizzlies shutout of the Evansville Otters at Bosse Field.
Gateway (33-49) manufactured a run in the first inning on a pair of walks, a Brent Sakurai bunt single, and a Shawon Dunston Jr. RBI fielder's choice. Woodcock followed with a solo homer over the right-field fence in the third inning and Owings left the yard to center field in the seventh.
Barrett (4-5) struck out eight, walked one, and allowed only three hits (all singles) over seven innings en route to the victory.
Grant Black added a perfect eighth inning for a hold and Geoff Bramblett saved his 12th game in as many chances when a Jack Meggs double-play ball locked up a Grizzlies triumph.
Evansville (47-35) dropped to third place in the West Division and remained a game behind first-place Florence.
Woodcock's home run was his fifth already in August and his 10th of the season, both of which are tied with Luke Lowery for the club lead. He has launched his 10 big flies in only 45 professional games.
Owings' solo shot in the seventh inning was his ninth of the year and third of the month. There was some controversy over whether the ball had gone over the center-field fence or bounced off of it and, after a lengthy umpires' deliberation resulted in calling the fly ball a home run, Otters manager Andy McCauley was ejected for vehement disagreement with home plate umpire Creal Waddell that included kicking dirt onto — and subsequently spitting on — home plate.
Gateway and Evansville will continue their weekend series with a second game Saturday at 6:35 p.m. CDT. Ian Kahaloa (2-5, 3.80) is scheduled to start for the Grizzlies against Otters righthander Matt Quintana (6-3, 2.45), who will be making his Evansville debut after he was acquired from the Joliet Slammers Monday before the trade deadline.
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