Bats Secure Series Win Over Clippers With 7-4 Victory
The Louisville Bats overcame an early deficit and came surging back to secure a series win at Louisville Slugger Field against the Columbus Clippers on Saturday night. Multiple big innings, capped off by home runs, aided in the 7-4 win. The Clippers got on the board in the top half
The Louisville Bats overcame an early deficit and came surging back to secure a series win at Louisville Slugger Field against the Columbus Clippers on Saturday night. Multiple big innings, capped off by home runs, aided in the 7-4 win.
The Clippers got on the board in the top half of the second with a double by George Valera that scored Kody Huff. The early inning scores continued with Blake Perkins scoring Valera to make it a 2-0 contest.
The lead quickly became 3-0, as a Valera homer knocked in one more run in the top of the fourth.
Clippers starter Jack Leftwich exited after going 3.0 innings. He allowed one hit and no runs while walking two.
Louisville responded with a home run of their own, with Leo Balcazar smashing one over the right-field fence for a two-run blast, his second Triple-A homer, to make it 3-2. The bases then became loaded with one out, and Dominic Fletcher cashed in on a sacrifice fly that scored Dayne Leonard, tying things up at three after four innings.
Bats starter Julian Aguiar exited his return to Louisville after a nearly two-month stint on the injured list by going 4.0 innings, allowing three runs on four hits while striking out two.
Columbus fired back with another long ball with a new arm in, this time from Alfonsin Rosario to make it 4-3 Clippers.
Louisville exploded in the bottom of the sixth, notching three runs in quick succession. Garrett Hampson hit an RBI single, followed by an RBI double by Dominic Pitelli that scored another. Orlando Arcia hit the exclamation point on the inning right up the middle to for a single to score another, making it a 6-4 ballgame in favor of Louisville.
Michael Chavis smacked a ball over the fence in left field in the seventh, notching his 24th homer of the season, and extending the lead for the Bats out to 7-4 in the seventh.
Connor Phillips (SV, 3) closed things out for Louisville and secured their first series win since before the All-Star break, coming on July 7-12 against Omaha.
Chase Solesky (W, 1-0) earned the win for an outstanding performance, going 4.0 innings and allowing one run on two hits, one of which was a home run in his first Bats victory.
Hunter Stanley (L, 3-3) got tacked with the loss after going 3.1 innings and allowing four runs on five hits.
The Bats (63-78, 24-44 2nd half) wrap up their series with the Clippers (75-65, 34-31 2nd half) on Sunday afternoon at Slugger Field. First pitch is set for 1:05 pm EST. Nick Curran and Jim Kelch will be on the call on Sports Talk 790.