Bats Mount Four-Run Comeback, Take Five of Six from Stripers
May 25, 2025 - International League (IL)
Louisville Bats News Release
LOUISVILLE, Kentucky - The Louisville Bats mounted their biggest comeback of the season, erasing a four-run deficit on Sunday afternoon to win their fourth straight game against the Gwinnett Stripers. The Bats bullpen picked up starter Wade Miley by tossing 8.1 scoreless innings and used a three-run bottom of the eighth to win five of six against Gwinnett, a much-needed series win after a rough six games in Indianapolis.
After failing to scratch a run across against Miley in Tuesday's opener, the Stripers wasted no time jumping on the southpaw this afternoon. Three straight singles to leadoff the ballgame gave Gwinnett an early 1-0 lead. After a quick first out, the Stripers brought home another with an RBI knock from Jose Devers, and Gwinnett's fifth single of the first inning knocked the veteran Miley out of the game. It was not the start that Miley was looking for today, especially after his impressive outing on Tuesday.
The Bats punched back in the bottom of the first, with Jake Fraley picking up the first hit of his rehab assignment, a 427-foot bomb to right-center to put Louisville on the board.
In relief of Miley, right-hander Sam Benschoter settled in for the Bats. He retired the first seven batters he faced out of the pen, striking out the side in the top of the third. After a single by David Fletcher to lead off the fifth, Benschoter forced a 4-6-3 double play. Having done his job, he exited after four scoreless frames with five strikeouts. Connor Phillips entered for Louisville, immediately surrendering two hits to put runners on second and third with two outs. Phillips escaped trouble, striking out Eddys Leonard to end the frame with the Stripers still ahead, 4-1.
Gwinnett starter Bryce Elder was stingy on the bump. He kept the Bats off the scoreboard after the first inning, with no runner passing second base along the way. A one-out double from Reds rehabber Christian Encarnacion-Strand and a hit-by-pitch to put on Rece Hinds created a scoring threat for the Bats. The scorching-hot Francisco Urbaez came through with an RBI single, his second hit of the game, He records his fifth consecutive multi-hit contest.
Elder's day ended before he could finish six frames, with lefty Dylan Dodd entering in relief. Levi Jordan, the first batter Dodd faced, reached on an infield single that plated Hinds, making it a one run game before P.J. Higgins popped out to end the inning.
Joe La Sorsa and Lyon Richardson combined for a scoreless top of the seventh, and Zach Maxwell (W, 1-1) posted a zero in the eighth to give the Bats a shot in the final innings. With Domingo Gonzalez (L, 1-1) on in relief for the Stripers, Encarnacion-Strand led off the bottom of the eighth with a walk, and Jacob Hurtubise entered to pinch run. Another free pass to Hinds put two speedy runners on with nobody out and Jack Rogers striding in. Rogers came through, ripping a go-ahead two-run double into the right field corner to give Louisville its first lead of the game at 5-4. The Bats weren't done, as Higgins cracked an RBI double of his own with two outs to give the Bats an insurance run before the end of the inning.
Louisville again turned to Alexis Diaz (S, 2) in the ninth to try and close out the game. Diaz ran into quick trouble, allowing a single and a double to the bottom two hitters of the Gwinnett order to put the tying run in scoring position with nobody out. Diaz bounced back, striking out leadoff hitter Jarred Kelenic and forcing a weak groundout to Carlos Rodriguez to bring the Bats an out away from victory. James McCann chopped one to third base, and Jordan threw him out at first to secure another Bats win, their fourth straight.
Higgins, Rogers and Urbaez each finished with two hits in the win, while the two rehabbers in Fraley and Encarnacion-Strand added extra-base hits.
After taking five of six from the Stripers, the Bats (24-26) will hit the road to Toledo to take on the Mud Hens. First pitch in Tuesday's opener is set for 6:05 p.m. ET with Nick Curran on the call for Sports Talk 790.
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