NORFOLK, Va. - The Louisville Bats (13-26) were swept in a doubleheader by the Norfolk Tides (22-18), dropping the second game of the twin bill by a 6-5 score. Louisville failed to record a win in its first doubleheader of the season, just one year removed from when it went
NORFOLK, Va. - The Louisville Bats (13-26) were swept in a doubleheader by the Norfolk Tides (22-18), dropping the second game of the twin bill by a 6-5 score. Louisville failed to record a win in its first doubleheader of the season, just one year removed from when it went 10-2 in doubleheader games.
The Bats jumped out to a 3-0 lead, with Dilson Herrera hitting his third home run for Louisville this season, his second in the first inning. Brandon Dixon's sacrifice fly in the third gave the Bats a 2-0 lead, and Steve Selsky's solo home run in the fourth gave the Bats a 3-0 advantage. Selsky has now hit five home runs for Louisville this season, all on the road, leading the club.
Norfolk would ambush Bats starter, left-hander Justin Nicolino (1-2, 3.69) with four runs in the bottom of the fourth, led by a three-run home run by Austin Wynns. Nicolino got the no-decision, going 4.2 innings and giving up five earned runs on eight hits and two home runs, walking one and striking out none. He became the first Bats starter without a strikeout this season, and the first since Wendolyn Bautista on August 31, 2017 against Indianapolis.
After the Tides took a 4-3 lead, Blake Trahan hit the Bats' third homer of the game to tie the game at 4-4. It was Trahan's first career Triple-A home run. The Tides would take a 5-4 lead in the bottom of the fifth on a Renato Núñez home run, only for the Bats to tie up the game in the next inning yet again.
Mason Williams' RBI double in the top of the sixth scored Steve Selsky, who reached base via dropped third strikeout, to make it a 5-5 ballgame. Adrian Marin's RBI in the bottom of the sixth for Norfolk that scored Mike Yastrzemski was the final blow to the Bats' effort, with the hit giving Louisville right-hander Domingo Tapia his third loss of the season.
Louisville will travel to Indianapolis to begin a four-game series tomorrow night at 7:05, the final four games of a season-long, 10-game road trip for the Bats before returning home Friday, May 25 for a season-long, 10-game homestand. Left-hander Brandon Finnegan (0-2, 6.75) will start for the Bats against the Indians Monday night.
