Iowa slips past Nashville 5-4 in 12 innings

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Christian Villanueva and John Andreoli each recorded RBI singles in the top of the 12th inning to lift the Iowa Cubs (55-50) past the the Nashville Sounds (46-60) 5-4 in Pacific Coast League action Thursday night at First Tennessee Park.

Righty Frank Batista (1-4) pitched 4.0 scoreless innings with three strikeouts to earn the win for Iowa. Right-hander Blake Cooper allowed a Sounds run in the bottom of the 12th but struck out Bryan Anderson with the bases loaded to earn his fourth save.

It was Iowa's fifth extra-innings win this season, and the third time it's played at least 12 innings in a game this season.

The Sounds struck first with two runs in the bottom of the third inning. With two outs, Jason Pridie knocked an RBI single and then scored on Nate Freiman's RBI double.

The Sounds extended their lead with a run in the fifth when Brent Morel drove in Joey Wendle with with a double.

Iowa struck back with a run in the seventh. Javy Baez led off the frame with a double, advanced to third on a ground out and scored on a second groundout for the I-Cubs' first run.

Iowa got two more runs in the top of the eighth to tie the game. Matt Szczur drove in Adron Chambers with an infield hit, then scored two batters later when Morel couldn't handle a routine grounder from Baez for an error.

Both teams traded zeros in the ninth, 10th and 11th innings before Iowa broke through with its runs off former Chicago Cubs lefty Phil Coke (0-2) in the 12th.

Right-hander Carlos Pimentel allowed three runs on nine hits and a walk with six strikeouts over 5.0 innings. Left-hander Joe Ortiz spun 2.0 scoreless innings with two strikeouts in relief.

Nashville lefty Brad Mills allowed a run on four hits and one walk with five strikeouts in 7.0 innings.

Villanueva and Andreoli led Iowa with two hits and an RBI apiece. Villanueva also walked twice. All nine I-Cubs had a hit in the game.

Freiman went 3-for-6 with an RBI to pace Nashville. Wendle, Morel and Niuman Romero each had multi-hit nights. Pridie had a hit and walked three times.

The I-Cubs and Sounds will play the final game of a four-game set on Friday night, with first pitch set for 7:05 p.m. CT at First Tennessee Park. Left-hander Drake Britton (6-5, 5.01) will start for Iowa opposite Sounds right-hander Nathan Long (2-3, 5.40). The game can be heard live on AM 940, 104.5 FM, and live-streamed at Iowacubs.com. The On-Deck Circle Pre-game Show will begin 6:40 p.m. CT.