SCHAUMBURG, Ill. — The Schaumburg Boomers raced out to an early lead thanks to a five-run second and cruised to an 11-6 victory over the Evansville Otters Wednesday afternoon at Boomers Stadium.

It had been 35 games since the Boomers (49-37) faced a left-handed starter and the Schaumburg offense greeted Evansville lefty Matt Crim with an early exit after exploding for five runs in the second. Chase Fontaine belted a double into the right field corner to drive in both Chad Mozingo and Steve McQuail, which answered a single tally from the Otters in the top half of the frame on an RBI-triple by Billy Killian. After a Jereme Milons line drive single to right, Boomers catcher Mike Valadez smacked his 11th double of the season off the wall in left center to put the Boomers up by four. Valadez later scored on a wild pitch to push the Schaumburg advantage to 5-1. Crim took the loss after just an inning and a third, which marked the first time the Boomers faced a southpaw since getting the best of Tyler Stovall of the Normal CornBelters in a 6-2 win back on July 14.

Schaumburg starter Alex Rivers took advantage of the early lead to improve to 4-3 after a strong performance Wednesday. The right-hander attacked the strike zone forcing Evansville batters into pitcher’s counts or to swing early in the count as the California native needed just 81 pitches to navigate seven innings. Rivers struck out three, walked none and allowed just one earned run while scattering nine hits in the contest in back-to-back wins for the Schaumburg righty.

The Boomers offense scored in six of the game’s nine innings and eight of the nine Schaumburg sluggers in the lineup contributed at least one base hit. McQuail, who finished 2-4 with a pair of runs scored, knocked in two and moved into a tie for third in the Frontier League with his 19th home run of the season in the fifth inning. The blast to center marked the former Toronto Blue Jays farmhand’s 16th bomb since the All-Star Break and McQuail’s single in the first extended his hitting streak to nine games. Drew Heithoff also pushed his career best hitting streak to nine games thanks to a 2-3 day at the plate with an RBI, a run scored and a walk. Milons was the other member of the Schaumburg lineup with a multi-hit day as the Boomers centerfielder scored three runs with a walk in a 2-3 effort.

Frank Pfister snapped a 28-game homerless stretch with his first round tripper since July 21 against the Gateway Grizzlies to give the Boomers up 10-2. Schaumburg added a run in the in the seventh when Karexon Sanchez coerced a bases loaded walk to make it 11-2 before Evansville broke through for four runs (one earned) with two outs in the ninth. Jose Rodriguez needed just two pitches to coax the groundball to first and preserve the victory for the Boomers.

Fans are in store for yet another rubber match at Boomers Stadium Thursday with Schaumburg looking to claim a 6-3 record on this nine-game homestand with a third series victory. RHP Robby Donovan (9-4, 3.34) gets the nod for Boomers Manager Jamie Bennett and he will face LHP Adam Champion (6-4, 2.20) for Evansville. 

PECKS

• The Boomers 8-1 at home when homering more than once
• In the sixth, Frank Pfister hit his first home run since July 21 at Gateway, which snaps a 28-game homerless stretch
• The win marked the first for Alex Rivers after a Boomers loss the night before

Tickets for the Inaugural Season of Boomers Baseball are going fast so act now: online at www.boomersbaseball.com, over the phone at 847.461.3695 or in person at the Boomers Box Office located at Boomers Stadium, 1999 Springinsguth Road, Schaumburg IL, 60193.