Mud Monsters Stage Second Straight Eighth-Inning Comeback, Top Otters 4-3
PEARL, Miss. (July 22, 2026) - Wednesday morning’s matchup saw the Mississippi Mud Monsters (27-35) complete their second straight eighth-inning comeback victory, topping the Evansville Otters (35-25), 4-3.
Monster Notes
Mississippi erased a late deficit again, winning its second straight game to open the series.
- Brayland Skinner launched his fourth home run of the season in the sixth inning.
- Samil De La Rosa delivered the go-ahead RBI single in the bottom of the eighth.
- Connor Langrell struck out the final two batters to secure the save.
- Art Joven worked five innings, allowing one run while striking out four.
- Dallas Woolfolk earned the win with two scoreless innings out of the bullpen.
Joven Navigates Early Traffic
The left-hander worked through command trouble in the opening inning.
Looking to make it two wins in a row to start the six-game series, the Mud Monsters sent Art Joven to the hill for the morning start.
The southpaw toed the Trustmark Park rubber and had a bit of trouble locating his pitches, walking three batters in the top of the first.
The leadoff man, Jon Ponder, reached on a free pass to begin things, but a nifty back pick by the left-hander eliminated Evansville’s first baserunner.
Later with two outs, Joven walked Logan Brown and Marcos Gonzalez to put two Otters aboard before striking out Sam Linscott swinging to end the frame.
Evansville Scores First
The Otters jumped in front in the second inning.
In the second, Evansville scored the first run of the game after Drey Dirksen led off the inning with a walk.
The next batter, T.J. Salvaggio, singled with one out to put two men on before Trey Bridges grounded out to move both runners into scoring position.
Jon Ponder followed with two outs and beat out an infield single back to Joven, allowing Dirksen to score and give Evansville the early 1-0 advantage.
Mississippi Searches for a Spark
The Mud Monsters broke into the hit column in the fifth.
Held hitless through 4.1 innings, the Mud Monsters finally broke through against Evansville starter Landon Willeman in the home half of the fifth.
Samil De La Rosa erased the goose egg in the hit column with a single. Travis Holt followed with a hit of his own to put two men aboard for the first time all game, but Willeman escaped the inning without allowing a run.
Otters Add One
Evansville stretched the lead in the sixth.
With Evansville still leading 1-0 heading to the top of the sixth, Mississippi turned to Tristan House in relief.
Joven completed his day with 5.0 innings, allowing one run on six hits while walking five and striking out four.
House walked the first batter he faced, Salvaggio, who then stole second. Bridges followed with an RBI double to increase Evansville’s lead to 2-0.
Still with no outs and a runner on second, an offering from House clipped Ponder to put two runners aboard.
The first out came when Dennis Pierce dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move both Otters into scoring position.
The next batter, Brown, grounded a ball to first that AJ Fritz fielded and fired home, catching Bridges in a rundown for out number two.
House escaped the inning, allowing just the lone run.
Light Tower Power
Skinner put Mississippi on the board in the sixth.
With Evansville now leading 2-0, the Mud Monsters stepped up in the bottom of the sixth looking for a response, and Brayland Skinner provided just that.
With one out in the inning, the 2026 Frontier League All-Star clobbered an offering from Willeman onto the roof of the Farm Bureau Grill & Outdoor Patio for his fourth home run of the year, a solo shot to make it a 2-1 game.
Momentum Builds
Mississippi tied the game in the seventh.
With new life, Mississippi sent Dallas Woolfolk to the hill in place of House. Woolfolk tossed a 1-2-3 inning, striking out the final two batters to send the game to the bottom of the seventh, where the Mud Monsters offense continued to build momentum.
After Holt picked up his second single of the day to start the inning, Tevis Payne II was hit by a pitch from Evansville reliever Joe Morissey, putting two Mississippi runners aboard.
One batter later with one out, Victor Diaz came off the bench as a pinch-hitter and delivered a game-tying RBI single to knot the game at 2-2.
Another Eighth-Inning Comeback
De La Rosa gave Mississippi the lead.
Mississippi’s bats made it three straight scoring innings after Karell Paz and Fritz reached on back-to-back singles to begin the bottom of the eighth.
With one out, De La Rosa dunked his second single of the afternoon into right field to score Paz and give the Mud Monsters a 3-2 lead.
De La Rosa was tagged out trying to stretch the hit into a double, allowing Fritz to advance to third.
Later, on a 1-1 count to Payne II, Evansville reliever Anthony Tomczak’s offering popped out of Drey Dirksen’s mitt for a passed ball, allowing Fritz to score and extend Mississippi’s lead to 4-2.
Langrell Slams the Door
The Otters got one in the ninth, but the Mud Monsters held on.
Now three outs away, Connor Langrell entered for the save opportunity. The leadoff batter, Brown, reached on an error before Gonzalez singled to put two aboard.
Linscott then singled home Brown to make it a one-run game, but with Gonzalez at second and Linscott at first, Langrell induced a flyout for the first out before striking out the final two batters to secure the save and Mississippi’s second straight victory.
Full Box Score
Mississippi 4, Evansville 3 - July 22, 2026 at Trustmark Park
Line Score
Evansville Batting
Mississippi Batting
Evansville Pitching
Mississippi Pitching
Box Score Notes
Evansville extra-base hits: Dirksen doubled in the fifth. Bridges doubled in the sixth.
Mississippi home run: Skinner hit his fourth home run of the season in the sixth inning.
RBIs: Evansville - Ponder, Linscott, Bridges. Mississippi - Skinner, De La Rosa, Rose.
Hit by pitch: Ponder was hit by House. Booker was hit by Willeman. Payne II was hit by Morissey.
Base running: Salvaggio stole his 15th base of the season for Evansville. Paz was caught stealing for Mississippi.
Defense: Evansville committed one error. Mississippi played errorless defense.
Pitching: Willeman 79 pitches, 45 strikes. Morissey 27 pitches, 17 strikes. Tomczak 28 pitches, 12 strikes. Thebiay 5 pitches, 1 strike. Joven 94 pitches, 57 strikes. House 17 pitches, 8 strikes. Woolfolk 26 pitches, 16 strikes. Langrell 26 pitches, 17 strikes.
Game information: Trustmark Park. Wednesday, July 22, 2026. First pitch: 11:03 a.m. Final out: 2:03 p.m. Time of game: 3:00. Attendance: 774. Weather: 89 degrees. Wind: 12 mph NE.
Up Next
The Mud Monsters continue their six-game series against the Otters Thursday evening, getting spooky with Midsummer Halloween - Scream 30th Anniversary.
Bring all your Halloween spirit to Trustmark Park and dress in your favorite costumes. It is also Thirsty Thursday, featuring Beer Batter, $2 16-ounce domestic draft beers and Postgame Adults Run the Bases presented by Elite PT.
Mississippi tabs left-hander Tyler Campbell (3-2, 4.87) for the start. Evansville counters with right-hander Colby Morse (0-0, 7.71).
Four More Nights Against Evansville
The homestand rolls on with Halloween chaos, fireworks, backpacks and a Sunday meal still ahead.
The rest of the series includes Midsummer Halloween, 90s Night Fireworks Friday, Back to School Night and 601 Sunday.
Midsummer Halloween
Fish is ready to haunt The Swamp for Midsummer Halloween and the 30th anniversary of Scream.
The night includes the costume contest, Villain Search, Jell-O Shot Trick-or-Treat Trail, Thirsty Thursday, Adults Run the Bases and the first Monster Drop: Ghost Fish.
Gates: 5:30 PM
First Pitch: 6:30 PM
90s Night Fireworks Friday
Trustmark Park goes back to the 90s for a Friday night in the swamp, capped by a big fireworks show presented by Metro Mechanical.
Gates: 5:30 PM
First Pitch: 6:30 PM
Back to School Night
The first 1,000 kids receive a backpack courtesy of Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi.
The BadgePass Lil’ Monsters Club officially launches, and kids can run the bases after the game.
Gates: 5:00 PM
First Pitch: 6:01 PM
601 Sundays
Close the homestand with 601 Sunday and a limited-edition meal in the Farm Bureau Grill & Outdoor Patio from Chef Markelius.
The meal includes grilled catfish, mac & cheese, salad and green beans for $15.
Gates: 5:00 PM
First Pitch: 6:01 PM
Pick Your Night in the Swamp
Whether you want costumes, fireworks, backpacks or a Sunday meal, this homestand still has a lane for you.
View This Week’s GamesGhost Fish Arrives July 23
The first Monster Drop is Ghost Fish, available during Midsummer Halloween with an in-person ticket purchase at the Trustmark Park box office while supplies last.
Read About Monster DropsAbout the Mississippi Mud Monsters
Baseball Lives Here. It Just Got a Little Weirder.
The Mississippi Mud Monsters are a professional baseball team based in Pearl, Mississippi, competing in the Frontier League. Built in the mud and rooted in Mississippi, the Mud Monsters believe baseball should be unapologetically fun, a little weird, wildly welcoming, and deeply tied to the place it calls home. Real baseball. Real people. This is swamp-built, Mississippi-made baseball, where the vibes matter just as much as the final score.