IL1 Louisville Bats

Bats Fight Back from Six Run Defecit, Lose in Extras

Published on June 6, 2013 under International League (IL1)
Louisville Bats News Release


LOUISVILLE, Ky - The Louisville Bats (29-31) found themselves down 7-1, fought back to tie it in the ninth but eventually lost in extra innings 8-7 to Norfolk (35-25) on Wednesday night. The Bats were trying to get back to .500 on the season for the 11th time in 2013. Corky Miller and Mike Hessman both closed in on career milestones with solo homeruns in the ninth inning.

After two scoreless innings the Tides jumped on the board with three hits and a walk to open the third. Chris Johnson laid down a bunt single, followed by an outfield single from Jason Pridie. Xavier Nady extended his hitting streak to six games with an RBI-single, scoring Johnson. Travis Ishikawa walked and Brandon Wood hit a sacrifice fly to right, scoring Pridie and giving Norfolk a 2-0 lead.

The Bats' Felix Perez led off the fourth with a hit, only the ninth hit given up by Zach Britton to a left handed hitter. A runner on with the heart of the order coming up gave the Bats a great chance to get on the board, but Neftali Soto hit into a double play and H-Rod grounded out to end the inning.

Louisville picked up one run in the fifth inning courtesy of Corky Miller who scored Denis Phipps on a sacrifice fly to deep center after Phipps led off the inning with a double.

Louisville starter Chad Reineke went five innings allowing two runs on seven hits while striking out three. Mike MacDougal relieved Reineke, walked the first batter he faced then gave up a 2-run homerun to Zelous Wheeler, giving Norfolk a 4-1 lead.

MacDougal became unwound in the seventh, walking four of the five batters he faces and giving up a single to the fifth batter. Two of those walks scored, stretching the Norfolk lead to 6-1. Jose Diaz relieved MacDougal, retiring all six batters he faced in the seventh and eighth. The only blemish was a sacrifice fly to his first batter of the seventh, a run credited to MacDougal giving Norfolk a 7-1 lead.

Following a Soto single, two strikeouts and a wild pitch in the seventh, Emmanuel Burriss flared a single into right field scoring Soto bringing the Bats within 7-2. Norfolk starter Zach Britton left after the seventh, giving up seven hits and two runs while striking out six and walking none.

Louisville cut into the Norfolk lead in the eighth as reliever Manny Delcarmen came on to pitch. After Hamilton flew out with Ray Chang on first, Negron singled and Felix Perez hit a 2-RBI double off the wall in left center, closing the gap to 7-4. After Soto struck out looking, H-Rod singled home Perez making it a two run game. Phipps walked, bringing the leading run to the plate in Burriss who then grounded out, ending the inning.

Nick Christiani worked a perfect ninth after Diaz went two innings and struck out two. Corky Miller and Mike Hessman then unloaded on reliever Jairo Ascensio (BS, 4) with back-to-back homeruns to left field, tying the game 7-7. The Bats managed only one more hit though, a single by Soto.

A 2-out RBI single from Buck Britton off Curtis Partch (L, 1-2) gave Norfolk an 8-7 lead in the top of the 10th inning, a lead they would not relinquish. Ascensio (W, 4-0) came back in to pitch the bottom of the inning for Norfolk and was perfect against Phipps, Burriss and Miller.

Negron, Perez and Miller all had multi-hit games for the Bats, with Miller and Perez adding 2-RBI's each. Chang was the only hitless Louisville player but he did score a run after walking in the eighth. Miller's homerun in the ninth moved him within two of Danny Dorn for third on the all-time Louisville list, while Hessman's shot gives him 399 in his career.

Game three of the series tomorrow night will feature the Bats RHP Daniel Corcino (2-8, 7.50) against LHP Tsuyoshi Wada (0-3, 6.11) for Norfolk. First pitch is at 7:05pm.

Check out the Louisville Bats Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



International League Stories from June 6, 2013


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central