Bats snap losing streak, outscore Mud Hens 11-2

TOLEDO, OH - The Louisville Bats (13-27) snapped their eight-game losing streak with a lopsided 11-2 victory over the Toledo Mud Hens (20-18) on Thursday afternoon at Fifth Third Field.
The Bats opened the scoring in the top of the first inning when Jesse Winker doubled to deep center field, plating Hernan Iribarren, who reached on a walk. The Bats would hold on to this 1-0 lead until the third inning.
Louisville sent left-hander Cody Reed to the mound to face the Mud Hens, and he stifled the Toledo offense with his season-high seven innings pitched, four hits allowed, two runs surrendered, three walks, and season-high nine strikeouts.
The Louisville offense broke out in the third inning when Beau Amaral led off with a double to left field. Iribarren later approached the plate with two runners on and no outs, and sent a deep fly ball over the right field wall for his second home run of the season, and extended the Bats' lead to 4-0.
The hitting remained hot in the fourth inning when the Bats tallied another six runs, bringing them to a 10-0 lead. Amaral and Winker both produced hits that collected them two RBI a piece, while Tony Renda and Sebastian Elizalde each acquired a single RBI of their own.
The six hits and two walks that the Bats gathered in the fourth inning allowed them to reach double digit runs for just the third time this season.
The Mud Hens put two runs up on the board in the bottom of the fifth on a two-run home run by Bryan Holaday, but the Bats still held a 10-2 advantage.
Leading off the sixth inning, Iribarren smacked his second hit of the afternoon with a triple to deep center, and he later scored on a sacrifice fly from Elizalde, bringing the Bats' lead to 11-2.
Louisville was able to hold Toledo scoreless for the final five innings of the game, bringing them to their first win since May 9 against Norfolk.
The Bats will return home this weekend for a three-game series with the Columbus Clippers at Louisville Slugger Field. Friday's matchup will feature right-handers Rookie Davis (0-0, 4.50 ERA) on the mound for the Bats, and Michael Peoples (1-1, 6.17 ERA) on the hill for the Clippers, with the first pitch set for 7:05 p.m.