By Greg Halbleib
NORMAL – The Normal CornBelters with guest manager Ozzie Guillen at the helm captured their sixth straight win, a 6-0 victory over the Evansville Otters on Wednesday at the Corn Crib.
The CornBelters struck first in the third inning, scoring on RBI singles from Aaron Dudley and Richard Lucas. Dudley clubbed a two-run homer just over the right field fence in the fifth inning to extend the lead to 4-0 and Sam Judah led off the sixth with a home run to the clubhouse walkway in right center for a 5-0 advantage.
The Belters scored an insurance tally in the eighth when Richard Lucas scored from third base on a ground ball hit by Ozney Guillen that the Otters could not turn into a double play.
Mike Schweiss (9-7) earned the win with six and two-thirds innings of six-hit ball with one walk and six strikeouts, increasing his season strikeout total to 135 and setting a new CornBelters single-season record. Hunter Ackerman (1-6) took the loss for the Otters (48-44) with five innings of work, giving up four runs (earned) on seven hits with two walks and six strikeouts.
The series concludes Thursday at 6:35 p.m. at the Corn Crib as the Belters (58-34) send right-hander Chris Carmain (7-2, 2.58 ERA) to the mound against Otters righty Trevor Walch (8-7, 2.69). Thursday’s broadcast on WJBC.com begins at 6:20 p.m. from the Corn Crib.
