Bats Hang On, Defeat Clippers 4-2
Published on May 21, 2026 under International League (IL)
Louisville Bats News Release
The Louisville Bats took a fifth-inning lead and held on late to defeat the Columbus Clippers 4-2 on Thursday afternoon at Huntington Park.
Louisville opened the scoring the top of the second as Noelvi Marte walked, stole second, advanced to third on an error from the Columbus catcher, and scored on an RBI ground out from Austin Hendrick.
Bats righty Darren McCaughan cruised through the first innings but allowed a game-tying solo homer to Kahlil Watson. The tie wouldn't last long. Following a pair of singles to start the top of the fifth, Edwin Arroyo launched a towering go-ahead three-run home run to right center field, his 10th of the season to tie for the team lead, and put the Bats ahead 4-1.
From there, McCaughan got through the fifth unscathed and struggled in the sixth, leaving the game with two outs and two men on base. Hunter Parks entered and labored out of the gate, walking a pair to force in a run and make it 4-2 before finally escaping the inning to preserve the lead.
Kyle Nicolas and Luis Mey each worked around traffic on the bases in the seventh and eighth, respectively. In the bottom of the ninth, Yunior Marte worked into trouble as the Clippers loaded the bases with one out. With the go-ahead and winning runs on base, Marte beared down to strike out Watson and induce a fielder's choice from Ralphy Velazquez to finish the win and earn his team-leading fifth save of the season.
McCaughan earned his fifth win of the season to tie for the team lead after giving up two runs on four hits with two walks and four strikeouts over 5.2 innings. Arroyo went 2-for-4 from the leadoff spot with his three-run homer, which would prove to be the decisive hit.
Next Game: Friday, May 22, 7:05 p.m. E.T. at Columbus Clippers (Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians)
Probable Pitchers: Bats LHP Brandon Leibrandt (1-2, 4.87) vs. Clippers LHP Ryan Webb (0-4, 9.55)
International League Stories from May 21, 2026
- Lewis Homers in First at Bat, But Saints Can't Prevent Leadoff Hitters from Reaching, Scoring, in 11-3 Loss - St. Paul Saints
- Storm Chasers Get 16 Hits in 11-3 Win over Saints - Omaha Storm Chasers
- Hostetler's Two-Homer Game Propels Jumbo Shrimp to Fourth Straight Win - Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp
- Stripers Snap Four-Game Skid with 7-3 Win over Charlotte - Gwinnett Stripers
- Indians Drop Game 3 at Toledo - Indianapolis Indians
- RailRiders Clip Lehigh Valley - Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders
- Felix Reyes and Bryan De La Cruz Each Go Yard Again But 'Pigs Nipped by RailRiders - Lehigh Valley IronPigs
- Streak Snapped Despite Perez and Weber's Offensive Boost - Charlotte Knights
- Rain-Shortened Shutout Loss Snaps Nashville's Nine Game Win Streak - Nashville Sounds
- Mud Hens Win 5-2 - Toledo Mud Hens
- Tides Drop Fourth Straight Game - Norfolk Tides
- Offense Continues to Surge, Collects Third Straight Win over Buffalo Thursday - Syracuse Mets
- Bisons Fail to Keep Pace with Syracuse - Buffalo Bisons
- Sometimes It Rains AND You Win - Durham Bulls
- Homestand Preview May 26-31 - Charlotte Knights
- SWB Game Notes - May 21, 2026 - Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders
- Memphis Shuts out Iowa Behind Hansen's First Triple-A Victory - Memphis Redbirds
- WooSox Lose on Thursday at Polar Park - Worcester Red Sox
- Iowa Shut out by Memphis 1-0 - Iowa Cubs
- Boom Ball Coming to Werner Park on August 15 - Omaha Storm Chasers
- Watson Hits Homer out of Huntington Park - Columbus Clippers
- King & Lipscomb Lead The Way With Two RBI Apiece in Victory Over WooSox - Rochester Red Wings
- 'Let Freedom Sing' Kicks off a Star-Spangled Summer of Fun at Coca-Cola Park on Wednesday, May 27th - Lehigh Valley IronPigs
- Bats Hang On, Defeat Clippers 4-2 - Louisville Bats
- Josh Varno Named Indy RBI Executive Director - Indianapolis Indians
- Bisons Fan-Favorite Obscure Jersey Night Honda Fridaynightbash Returns May 29 - Buffalo Bisons
- Sounds Set to Host Braves Affiliate for First Time in 2026 - Nashville Sounds
- WooSox Hall of Fame to Enshrine Four in Class of 2026 - Worcester Red Sox
- May 21 Game Notes: Iowa Cubs vs. Memphis Redbirds - Iowa Cubs
- Bats Return to Louisville for Series Matchup with St. Paul - Louisville Bats
- Ralphy Has Arrived in Columbus - Columbus Clippers
- Rochester Red Wings Game Notes - May 21 at Worcester - Rochester Red Wings
- WooSox Game Information - Worcester Red Sox
- Nashville Makes It Nine Straight with 10-2 Win over Durham - Nashville Sounds
- St. Paul Snaps Omaha's Win Streak - Omaha Storm Chasers
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.
