Bats Late Surge Not Enough in 3-2 Loss to Clippers
IL Louisville Bats

Bats Late Surge Not Enough in 3-2 Loss to Clippers

July 12, 2025 - International League (IL)
Louisville Bats News Release


COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Louisville Bats dropped game five of their series with the Columbus Clippers 3-2 on Saturday night. The Bats had the tying run in scoring position and the go-ahead run at the plate in the ninth but could not stretch the tying run across the plate.

In the ninth, Tim Herrin (S, 1) came on to close for Columbus, but Ryan Vilade went deep to left start the inning, mashing his third home run of the series and 10th of the season, cutting the Columbus lead to just a run at 3-2. Levi Jordan singled to put the tying run on base and stole second. Then with two outs, Blake Dunn singled on a high ground ball on the infield. Jordan tried dashing home but got caught in a rundown and was tagged out at the plate by the pitcher Herrin to end the game.

Leading up to the ninth, the game began with both pitchers bringing their best stuff. Louisville starter Aaron Wilkerson retired the first eight batters he faced, grabbing four punchouts in that span. He continued to deal through five innings, only allowing two hits, and finished his night with six strikeouts. Sam Benschoter (L, 5-3) came in to relieve Wilkerson in the sixth.

For Columbus, starting pitcher Austin Peterson (W, 1-1) also threw lights out. He surrendered two hits and only one walk after six frames. One of the hits was a double by Rece Hinds, moving the Bats' season total for doubles to 173, second best in the International League.

Neither team could buy a run until in the bottom of the sixth, the Clippers broke the deadlock. Yordys Valdes hit a bunt single to second base and moved around the bases with a stolen base and a wild pitch. He scored on a single from Dayan Frias. After another single from Petey Halpin, Jhonkensy Noel doubled both runs home, and that ended the night for Benschoter with only 0.2 innings pitched. Joe La Sorsa finished the inning, but the Clippers took a 3-0 lead.

The Bats answered in the top of the seventh. Davis Wendzel and Hinds both drew walks, and that ended the night for Peterson. Bradley Hanner came in to pitch, and the first batter he faced was Christian Encarnacion-Strand, who singled into left for an RBI in his first game back in Louisville. This was all the Bats could do in the inning, but they were able to chip away at the Clippers lead.

Connor Phillips came in to pitch in the bottom of the seventh. He surrendered a lead-off double but then kept the runner in place with three straight outs after that.

In the eighth, Zak Kent came to the mound for Columbus, and Dunn drew a leadoff walk to extend his on-base streak to 33 games. Francisco Urbaez and Wendzel both walked to load the bases with one out, but back-to-back strikeouts ended the inning without any runs. That was the story of the late innings, as the Bats came up just short in the ninth.

Vilade finished 2-for-4 with a home run and an RBI. The other RBI came from Encarnacion-Strand, who ended the night going 1-for-4.

The Bats (39-53, 7-10 second half) will wrap up the series with the Clippers (43-46, 9-8 second half) on Sunday afternoon. First pitch will be at 1:05 p.m. with Nick Curran on the call on Sports Talk 790.

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International League Stories from July 12, 2025


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