Bats Fall Short in Both Games of Opening Day Twin Bill
NASHVILLE, TN – Louisville (0-2) dropped both games of Saturday’s Opening Day doubleheader in extra innings as Nashville (2-0) walked off game one 3-1 in the eighth and 5-4 in the ninth inning of game two. Joey Votto homered in the first game while Matt McLain and TJ Hopkins both
NASHVILLE, TN – Louisville (0-2) dropped both games of Saturday’s Opening Day doubleheader in extra innings as Nashville (2-0) walked off game one 3-1 in the eighth and 5-4 in the ninth inning of game two. Joey Votto homered in the first game while Matt McLain and TJ Hopkins both homered to fuel the Bats offense in the second game as Louisville fell just short in both halves of the twin bill at First Horizon Park.
The Bats jumped out in front early in game one, thanks to Reds rehabber Joey Votto. With two outs in the top of the first inning, Votto stepped to the plate and swung at the first pitch he saw and launched it deep over the right field wall for a home run and 1-0 Louisville lead.
Right hander Levi Stoudt (0-0, 0.00) was locked in from the start, striking out two of the first three batters he faced while putting the Sounds down in order in the home half of the first.
Nashville got a runner in scoring position in the third after a walk and stolen base, but the threat would go no further as Stoudt was able to strikeout another Sounds’ hitter to end the inning.
Stoudt was solid in his first career Triple-A Opening Day start, tossing four no-hit innings with four strikeouts and three walks.
Casey Legumina entered in the fifth inning and made the most of his Triple-A debut as he continued the Bats no hit bid while notching his first strikeout.
Louisville kept the Sounds out of the hit column until the sixth inning when Nashville finally broke through with a lead-off triple. With one out and two runners on, Nashville tallied its second hit of the game, an RBI single to tie the game 1-1.
With the score still knotted at 1-1, the Bats and Sounds headed to extra innings. Louisville was able to move the placed runner to third with two outs but couldn’t bring in the run. Ricky Karcher (0-1) came on in the home half of the eighth and gave up a first pitch, two-run home run as the Sounds took game one 3-1 in walk-off fashion.
The Sounds struck first in game two, scratching across a single run in the first on two hits to take an early 1-0 lead.
Louisville answered in the following frame. Brian Rey reached first via error to lead off the inning, followed immediately by an RBI double into the right field corner off the bat of Alejo Lopez to tie the game 1-1. With two outs in the inning, Jhonny Pereda roped a single into center field to score Lopez and give the Bats a 2-1 lead.
Nashville scored runs in each of the next two innings, recording one in the bottom of the second to even the game at 2-2 before adding on two more runs in the third to retake the lead at 4-2.
With two outs in the top of the fifth, Matt McLain smoked a ball to center field for a home run, marking his first Triple-A hit, home run, run and RBI with one swing, and cut Nashville’s lead to just one at 4-3. The Bats continued the rally in the sixth as TJ Hopkins hit a bomb of his own to left center field to even the score again, 4-4.
Still even at 4-4, the Bats and Sounds went into extra innings for the second time of the night. After neither team scored in the eighth, the Sounds managed to scratch a run across in the ninth on a wild pitch to secure their second walk-off win of the day, 5-4.
Louisville and Nashville will conclude the short three game series tomorrow afternoon, Sunday, April 2 with first pitch set for 3:05 pm E.T. at First Horizon Park. Right-hander Chase Anderson (0-0, 0.00) will get the ball for the Bats as he takes on fellow righty Janson Junk (0-0, 0.00) who is set to take the mound for the Sounds.