It was only a matter of time before the Louisville Bats would find their stroke at the plate. Sunday afternoon was that time as the Bats pulled out a 5-3 victory over the Columbus Clippers.
Louisville’s offense caught fire in the sixth inning when the Bats put up a four spot. Kristopher Negron led off the inning and moved to third on a fly out by Denis Phipps. Negron scored on a single by Todd Frazier. After Frazier stole second, he scored on Neftali Soto’s double. Soto advanced to third when Danny Dorn flew out to center.
After a Paul Janish walk, Felix Perez capped the scoring with a big two-run double to left-center field. Perez’s double turned out to be the game winning hit.
It was never a comfortable lead, though, as Bats pitching flirted with disaster all afternoon. Columbus put at least one runner in scoring position is every inning but the eighth and ninth. Bats starter Brett Tomko got out of the first four innings only giving up one run on an RBI groundout in the fourth by Justin Toole.
Tomko would not get a chance to get out of trouble in the fifth; after allowing a one out walk to Beau Mills, Tomko was lifted for Scott Carroll. On two pitches, Carroll got Lonnie Chisenhall to ground into a double play, ending the inning.
Carroll was able to escape some of his own trouble in the sixth; after back-to-back two out singles from Toole and Ezequiel Carerra, Carroll got Cord Phelps to ground out to end the inning.
Part of the Bats’ ability to get out of jams was the catching of Corky Miller, who did not allow a passed ball.
“Both of our catchers (Miller and Dioner Navarro) are awesome,” said Carroll, who picked up his first win of the season. “They’ve done a great job this year calling pitches and blocking everything we throw.”
“Having two veterans like them is definitely a plus.”
Columbus finally made the Bats pay in seventh inning when Beau Mills blasted a two-run home run off of Nick Christiani. It would be the final runs scored by Columbus on the night.
The Clippers finished the game 1-for-15 with runners in scoring position and left a total of 11 men on base.
Travis Webb, who replaced Christiani after a leadoff single in the eighth, picked up his first hold of the season by getting Carrera to fly out and Phelps to ground into a double play. JJ Hoover pitched a perfect ninth inning was credited with his third save of the year.
Columbus starter Zach McAllister (0-1) was saddled with the loss.
The Bats struck first in the bottom of the second when Danny Dorn crushed a 415-foot home run to right field. It was Dorn’s third home run of the season.
Columbus came back to tie it two innings later on Toole’s groundout.
The Bats (4-7) and Clippers (7-4) square off in the series finale Monday at 6:35. Louisville will send Jeff Francis (0-1, 3.27 ERA) to the hill. He will be opposed by Kevin Slowey (1-1, 2.45 ERA). If Louisville wins, it will be their first series win of the young season. The Bats have yet to win consecutive games.