Bats Open Series with Win over RailRiders
April 25, 2017 - International League (IL1)
Louisville Bats News Release
MOOSIC, Pa.-The Louisville Bats (8-10) picked up a 6-2 win in the first of three games against the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (8-9) Tuesday evening at PNC Field in Moosic, Pennsylvania.
Starting as a pitchers' duel, neither team could muster a run through the first five-and-a-half innings. Bats' starter righty Jackson Stephens allowed a hit in each of the first three innings, including a double in the second, but the RailRiders could not plate a run.
Threatening again in the fifth, the RailRiders would load the bases with one out on three-consecutive singles. A pop up in foul territory and a grounder to the shortstop, Juan Perez, would get Stephens out of the inning and maintain the scoreless tie headed to the sixth.
After a bunt single in the first by Sebastian Elizalde, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre starter right-hander Caleb Smith would retire the next fifteen Louisville batters. Smith's day would come to an end in the top of the six with two outs, after Elizalde broke the retired batters streak reaching on an error. The Bats failed to bring Elizalde home, as the contest remained scoreless headed to the bottom of the sixth.
A one out walk, wild pitch, and two-out single resulted in the first run of the ball game in the home half of the sixth. After allowing the game's first run, Stephens finished the inning to end his outing, going six deep, allowing one run, six hits, three walks, and three strikeouts on 107 pitches.
Nearly six innings apart, the Bats got their second hit in the top of the seventh courtesy of a Hernan Iribarren single to center field, advancing Seth Mejias-Brean to second who reached via a walk. An intentional walk to Jesse Winker loaded the bases for Chad Wallach. The catcher singled to the gap in right-center to give the Bats a 2-1 advantage.
The scoring continued with Winker scoring on a wild pitch by Scranton/Wilkes-Barres' Ben Heller, who's day would end after Tyler Goeddel singled to put Louisville up 4-1. The final Bats' run of the inning came on a fielding error at first by the RailRiders. Going to the bottom half of the seventh, Louisville would lead, 5-1.
Chipping away in the bottom of the eighth, Ji-Man Choi homered to left center, cutting Louisville's lead to three. The next two RailRiders reached on singles, but a double play ball and a strikeout from righty Kevin Shackleford ended the inning with Bats up, 5-2, headed to the final inning.
A bases loaded catcher interference call added an insurance run for the Bats in the top of the ninth, while Shackleford did not allow a run in the game's final half inning to seal the 6-2 Bats victory. Stephens moved to 2-0 on the year with his six innings of one run baseball.
The second game of a three-game set is scheduled of for Tuesday at 6:35 p.m. The Bats will send right-hander Sal Romano (0-0, 1.59 ERA) to the mound, while Luis Cessa (1-2, 1.62 ERA) will get the start for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
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