Steer, Bats Top Iowa 4-3 on Thursday Afternoon

DES MOINES, IA – Spencer Steer doubled, homered and drove in three as the Louisville Bats (45-63) toppled the Iowa Cubs (48-60) in the ninth inning at Principal Park on Thursday afternoon.

[Box Score]

Louisville jumped out front early, scoring in the opening frame of the game. TJ Friedl led off the game with a single to left before being brought home in the following at bat when Spencer Steer laced a double down the third base line to score Friedl. Steer was later brought home on a Colin Moran ground out to give the Bats an early 2-0 lead.

Iowa went hitless into the fourth inning before stringing together three straight hits to score two runs and tie the game 2-2 heading to the fifth.

Brandon Williamson (1-3, 4.10) cruised through the first three plus innings, striking out five without allowing a hit until two outs in the fourth. Williamson turned in five solid innings, allowing just two runs on four hits while striking out six.

The game remained deadlocked there until the home half of the eighth inning when the I-Cubs took a 3-2 lead courtesy of a solo home run.

Louisville refused to stay down and answered immediately in the top of the ninth. With one out and one on, Steer struck again, this time launching a home run, his first with the Bats and 13th on the year, down the left field line to score two runs and regain the lead at 4-3.

Fernando Cruz (3-4, 3.02) came on to pitch the bottom of the ninth and struck out two batters to earn his league leading 20th save of the year.

Steer and Friedl combined for five of Louisville’s twelve hits and scored all four runs to lead the Bats hitters.

The Bats and I-Cubs will play game four of six tomorrow night with first pitch scheduled for 8:08 pm E.T. Left-hander Justin Nicolino (3-4, 5.46) will take the bump for Louisville while righty Javier Assad (0-2, 4.01) will make the start for Iowa.