Pitching Paces Bats To 2-1 Opening Night Win

The Louisville Bats got strong pitching all night, escaping a pair of late jams to preserve an early lead in a 2-1 Opening Night win over the Omaha Storm Chasers on Friday night at Louisville Slugger Field.

Getting the Opening Night nod for the first time in his career, Chase Petty was dealing from the start. On his first pitch, he induced a fly out to right from John Rave. He cruised through the first inning on just seven pitches, setting the Storm Chasers down in order.

The Bats offense came to play early as well against Omaha starter Ryan Bergert. In his first Triple-A at-bat, Edwin Arroyo laced a double into the right field corner. Hector Rodriguez followed with a line drive that eluded Omaha right fielder Gavin Cross for an RBI double to score Arroyo with the first run of the season.

Petty worked through trouble for the first time in the second, striking out Josh Rojas to strand runners on second and third. He ended the third with a strikeout as well before the Bats doubled the lead. With runners on the corners and one out, Rece Hinds looped a softly hit single into right field to plate Blake Dunn, who began the inning with a single of his own.

Pitching with a two-run lead, Petty recorded another pair of strikeouts in the fourth to leave two runners on base and recorded the first two outs in the fifth. From there, Bats Manager Pat Kelly turned to the bullpen. In a masterful outing, Petty tossed 4.2 scoreless innings, allowing four hits and one walk while striking out eight.

Making his Triple-A debut out of the Louisville bullpen, Trevor Kuncl picked up right where Petty left off, retiring all four batters he faced to preserve the lead. Southpaw Anthony Misiewicz then made his Bats debut and struck out a pair in a scoreless seventh.

In the eighth, Hagen Danner was called on for his Reds organizational debut and immediately worked into a jam as Omaha loaded the bases with a pair of walks and a single with nobody out. With the game on the line, Danner induced a pop up from Brandon Drury, struck out Cross, and forced a ground out from Luca Tresh to leave the runners on base and preserve the shutout bid.

Closer Zach Maxwell (S, 1) came on for the Bats in the ninth and got two quick outs. Kevin Newman kept the game going with a double to left and John Rave broke the shutout with an RBI single to right. Maxwell would bear down and get the final out, striking out Abraham Toro to finish the season-opening win and earn the save.

Kuncl (W, 1-0) would earn the win in his Bats debut with 1.1 scoreless innings. Dunn, Rodriguez, and Hinds each recorded a pair of hits in the win. The five Bats pitchers combined for 14 strikeouts in the triumph. The victory is Louisville’s third straight on Opening Night since 2024, improving the overall franchise record in season openers to 19-25 since 1982.

The Bats (1-0) continue their first series of the season against the Storm Chasers (0-1) on Saturday afternoon. First pitch is set for 1:05 p.m. at Louisville Slugger Field. Jim Kelch will be on the call for Sports Talk 790.