First Inning Fireworks, Stellar Pitching Gives Bats Back-to-Back Wins

The Louisville Bats took their second straight against the Indianapolis Indians by earning a 8-2 victory on Friday Night at Victory Field. The Bats extended the series lead in the Circle City, aided by a massive three-run homerun by Michael Toglia in the first inning and stellar pitching from the Louisville staff.

Darren McCaughan took the bump to start the day for the Bats, and Antwone Kelly earned the starting bid for the Indians.

Louisville’s JJ Bleday got the scoring started early with a hard-hit ground ball that resulted in an error, where the Bats jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. A three-run homerun by Michael Toglia would add on to the first inning barrage, as Louisville would extend the lead to 5-0. Kelly’s day would end early, where he finished with just 0.2 innings tossed, five runs, zero earned with three walks.

The Indians would get on the board not long after with an RBI-double by Endy Rodriguez, cutting the lead to 5-1.

Carson Fulmer, who came in for Indy in the top of the first, would hold the Bats to just three hits in 3.1 innings of work with three strikeouts.

Both offenses would go stagnant after their early efforts, as both Louisville and Indianapolis would struggle to generate scoring opportunities. The Bats would face a jam in the fifth with two runners on and nobody out, but McCaughan would remain resilient, working a double play and a strikeout to get out of the inning unscathed.

In the sixth, the Bats would call to the bullpen and bring in Anthony Misiewicz. McCaughan’s dominance stretched five innings, only surrendering the one run in the first and striking out five.

Louisville finally broke the scoring drought in the eighth. The Bats loaded the bases with one out, and Will Banfield delivered a two-RBI double to extend the lead 7-1. A triple by Hector Rodriguez and a single by JJ Bleday in the ninth would increase the margin, 8-1.

After giving up a late run in the bottom half of the last inning, Hagen Danner would shut the door on Indianapolis as the Bats would move above .500 again, trouncing the Indians with a final score of 8-2. McCaughan (2-1) earned his first victory as a starter for Louisville and Kelly (0-3) took the loss for the Indians.

The Bats (7-6) continue their series against the Indians (3-10) on Saturday night. First pitch is set for 6:35 p.m. at Victory Field. Nick Curran will be on the call for Sports Talk 790.