KINSTON, N.C. (September 3, 2026) – Stephen DiTomaso made Frontier League history Thursday night, recording his 145th hit of the season to set a new single-season record, but the Evansville Otters erupted for big innings throughout to hand the Down East Bird Dawgs a 17-7 defeat at Historic Grainger Stadium, dropping Down East to 47-52 despite holding a 2-1 series lead.

Evansville jumped out to an 8-0 lead through five innings, scoring four in the first, two more on a Dennis Pierce two-run homer in the fourth, and two more in the fifth.

Trey Law pulled one back with an RBI single in the fifth before Colby Backus launched his 19th homer of the season — a two-run shot — in the sixth to cut it to 9-3.

The Otters put the game away with a six-run seventh highlighted by a Sam Linscott three-run homer and added another in the eighth before Down East responded with three runs in the bottom half on a Tyler Blaum sacrifice fly, a Trotter Harlan RBI single, and DiTomaso's record-breaking 145th hit of the season, an RBI single that broke the Frontier League's single-season hits record.

Jacob Corson added his 10th homer of the year for Down East in the ninth to set the final at 17-7.

Rolando Heredia-Bustos (3-7) lasted just ⅔ of an inning, allowing four runs on four hits before exiting with an injury.

Ryan Wiltse (10-4) earned the win for Evansville, allowing one run on four hits over five innings with five strikeouts and one walk.

The Bird Dawgs (47-52) look to bounce back Friday, September 4, at 7 p.m. ET at Historic Grainger Stadium.