Louisville Loses 5-4 to I-Cubs to Split Series in Des Moines

DES MOINES, IA- The Louisville Bats (46-65) lost another one-run game to the Iowa Cubs (50-61) to split the series at Principal Park on Sunday afternoon.

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The Louisville Bats lost to the Iowa Cubs on Sunday afternoon in the seventh one-run game between the two clubs this season. Louisville won five of the seven one-run contests with Iowa and is now 16-16 in one-run games this season.

The I-Cubs were the first on the board, plating a pair of runs in the home half of the first inning. Louisville starter Levi Stoudt (0-2, 7.36) was able to buckle down and limit the damage in the opening frame, despite seeing the bases loaded twice.

The Bats cut the lead in half in the third when right fielder Lorenzo Cedrola lined one down the left field line that bounced off the wall of the in-play Iowa bullpen for an RBI-double. The two-bagger was his second hit of the day and gave him his team-leading, 32nd multi-hit game of the season.

In the bottom of the third, Stoudt retired first baseman Matt Mervis to start the inning, but was forced to leave the game after a mound visit from Louisville manager Pat Kelly and head trainer Steve Gober. Kyle Dowdy entered in relief and quickly retired the next two Cubs to end the inning.

After stealing a base hit from Chuckie Robinson in the top of the fifth with a tremendous diving catch, Iowa right fielder Darius Hill began the home half of the inning with a lead-off, stand-up triple. David Bote lifted a fly ball to deep left center field in the following at-bat to bring home Hill with a sacrifice fly, giving Iowa a 3-1 lead.

Bats’ shortstop Spencer Steer narrowed the Iowa lead to a single run in the following half inning, hitting a solo shot to right center field that just cleared the wall to continue his lengthy on-base streak. He has now reached base in all 10 of his games since joining the Bats on August 4 and is riding a 25-game on-base streak dating back to July 3 with St. Paul, good for the longest active streak in the International League.

After whiffing Jared Young and Greg Deichman, Louisville reliever Ricky Karcher was almost able to pitch his way out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth, but Darius Hill struck again, this time with a 2-RBI base hit to right to push the Iowa lead to 5-2.

After four straight Bats reached base in the eighth inning, Louisville was able to pull within a run when Eric Yang drew a bases-loaded walk, making the score 5-4. Reliever Ben Leeper entered the game for the I-Cubs and ended the Louisville threat with two straight strikeouts to leave the bases loaded. Leeper remained in the game for the ninth, earning a five-out save, his sixth of the season.

After the scheduled day off tomorrow, the Bats will head back home to Louisville Slugger Field to begin a six game series with the Omaha Storm Chasers (Kansas City Royals Triple-A Affiliate). Game one will be Tuesday evening (August 16) with first pitch slated for 6:35 p.m. Right-hander Randy Wynne (4-10, 5.04) will get the ball for Louisville, with Omaha’s starter yet to be named.