SCHAUMBURG, Ill. — Mitch White recorded a Frontier League record five strikeouts in the top of the ninth inning, but Dakota Phillips drilled a three-run homer in the midst of the history as the Schaumburg Boomers dropped a 5-2 decision to the Evansville Otters at Wintrust Field on Tuesday night.

Schaumburg raced to a 2-0 lead in the game with a pair of runs in the first against Evansville starter Braden Scott. Alec Craig led off the game with a walk and moved to third on a single from Christian Fedko. Fedko took off for second and when the throw sailed into center Craig came in with the first run. Anthony Calarco doubled home Fedko later in the inning. Cristian Lopez was solid on the mound in his third professional start for the Boomers but Evansville touched him for a pair of runs in the fourth to tie the game.

The pitcher’s duel continued into the ninth with Scott settling down and allowing just one runner to reach scoring position after the first, working eight innings. Lopez twirled six innings and Dallas Woolfolk and Matt Helwig put up consecutive zeroes entering the ninth. White struck out Giovanni DiGiacomo and David Mendham looking before fanning Gary Mattis swinging. Mattis was able to reach on a wild pitch and the next batter walked, setting the stage for the homer from Phillips. Delvin Zinn struck out swinging after the homer but also reached on a wild pitch before White struck out Logan Brown for his fifth of the inning. The MLB record for strikeouts in an inning is four. A Diamondbacks prospect in the California League struck out five in an inning in April of this year.

Both teams finished with seven hits in the contest, the third game of the series. Aaron Simmons and Andrew Sojka tallied two hits each for the Boomers. Schaumburg had runners on base in seven different innings. The pitching staff recorded 12 strikeouts in the game counting the five from White in the ninth. Lopez fanned four and did not walk a batter. Woolfolk struck out a pair and Helwig added one. The ninth inning walk was the first of the game issued by the staff.

The loss dipped the Boomers (39-40) to fifth place in the West. The team will continue a stretch of 14 games in 13 days tomorrow with a 6:30pm contest against the Otters on Mothers Against Drunk Driving: First Responders Night presented by Salvi, Schostok, and Pritchard. There are just eight dates left at Wintrust Field on the 2024 schedule and tickets for all remaining contests this season are now on sale! Make plans to be part of the fun this summer before it’s too late! Visit boomersbaseball.com or call 847-461-3695 to secure yours.