Three-run ninth guides Otters past Titans in series finale

May 26, 2022

Ottawa, ON – After 26 and two-thirds innings of shutout baseball in their inaugural home series, the Ottawa Titans (7-5) couldn’t hold on in the series finale, dropping a 3-1 final to the Evansville Otters on Thursday afternoon.

Chris Burica (ND, 1-0) got the ball for the Titans as they looked for the series sweep in the finale. The 6-foot-6 lefty followed in the footsteps of the first two starters of the series for the pinstripes, fulfilling eight shutout innings, giving up two hits, a walk, and striking out seven.

Burica finished his outing by retiring the remaining 18 Otters in order for his first quality start of the season.

The Titans’ offence cashed in for the first run of the game in the third as Tyrus Greene led off the inning with a double to the right-field corner and was cashed in by a Will Zimmerman RBI single.

Tim Holdgrafer, the reigning Frontier League Pitcher of the Week, toed the rubber for the Otters in the series finale. The righty allowed only one run on four hits, striking out nine in seven innings of work.

With the slim lead heading to the ninth, Bobby Brown gave the ball to Nelson Gonzalez (loss, 0-1) for the save opportunity. After the first two grounded out against the former Rockies farmhand, JR Davis walked, setting up a double from Zach Bierman.

Justin Felix stepped to the plate and delivered a three-run homer over the wall in left to snap a 26 and two-thirds scoreless streak in the series for the visitors.

With the Otters taking the lead in the ninth, Logan Sawyer entered the ballgame to complete the victory.

The Ottawa Titans continue their inaugural six-game homestand on Friday night against the Gateway Grizzlies at Ottawa Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m as Zac Westcott takes the hill on Breast Cancer Awareness Night.

For information on Ottawa Titans’ 2022 season tickets, group outings, and 8-game mini packs, visit the Titans’ official website at www.ottawatitans.com.

Frontier League

Latest News

Early Miners Rally Drops Titans in Middle Game

By Davide Disipio • June 19, 2025
Ottawa, ON - The Ottawa Titans (11-23) allowed a season high 19 runs in a 19-3 loss to the Sussex County Miners (25-10) on Wednesday night. [...]

Titans Fall to Miners in Extras

By Davide Disipio • June 18, 2025
Ottawa, ON - The Ottawa Titans (11-22) dropped the opener of their three-game series by a 7-6 final in extras to the Sussex County Miners (24-10) on Tuesday. [...]

Early Deficit Drops Titans in Series Finale

By Davide Disipio • June 15, 2025
Ottawa, ON - The Ottawa Titans (11-21) fell into an early hole and were unable to recover, dropping Sunday's finale 11-4 to the Trois-Rivières Aigles (12-21), snapping the team's three-game winning streak. [...]

Villa Tosses Six Scoreless, Titans Blank Aigles

By Davide Disipio • June 15, 2025
Ottawa, ON - A quality start from Alfredo Villa (win, 1-2) gave the Ottawa Titans (11-20) a 4-0 clean sheet over the Trois-Rivières Aigles (11-21) on Saturday, seeing the club win three in a row for the first time this season. [...]

Pitching Dominates, Titans Walk-Off Aigles in Extras

By Davide Disipio • June 14, 2025
Ottawa, ON - Ten combined scoreless innings from three different arms and a walk-off single from Aaron Casillas gave the Ottawa Titans (10-20) a 1-0 win over the Trois-Rivières Aigles (11-20) on Friday, seeing the club win their second in a row. [...]