Clippers' Take Series Opener in Comeback Fashion

The Columbus Clippers defeated the Louisville Bats, 7-6, tonight in game one of the teams' three-game set at Huntington Park.
Louisville got out to an early lead, but two big homeruns from Clippers' catcher Eric Haase kept his squad alive long enough to win it in the eighth.

Brian O'Grady opened the scoring with a two-run homerun off Columbus starter Stephen Fife in the first inning.
They tacked on two more runs in the second, both on groundouts. Josh VanMeter drove in the first run and Blake Trahan drove in the second for a 4-0 lead.
Haase responded with his 19^th homerun of the year in the bottom of the second inning. His two-run shot off Justin Nicolino cut the deficit in half at 4-2.
Bats' catcher Tim Federowicz did damage in the top of the fifth, though, scorching a two-run double to left, extending the Louisville lead to 6-2.
It was Haase again in the home half of the fifth, this time with his team-leading 20^th shot of the year. The solo homerun cut the Bats' lead down to 6-3.
The Clippers came alive to win it with four two-out runs in the eighth inning. Bobby Bradley delivered a two-run double to pull within one at 6-5, and Joe Sever singled in two more to take the lead at 7-6.
That set things up for Evan Marshall, who closed thing out in the ninth for the huge game one win.
The teams will be back in action tomorrow night at 6:35 p.m. for game two.