Bats Mount Late-Game Comeback to Take Series Opener
April 8, 2025 - International League (IL)
Louisville Bats News Release
LOUISVILLE, Kentucky - The Louisville Bats rallied with a four-run eighth inning to win 4-2, resurging to take game one of the series with the Indianapolis Indians at Louisville Slugger Field.
By the eighth inning, the Bats had struggled with only two hits to that point on the night, but they came alive in the frame. It started with a lead-off walk by Levi Jordan and a single by Davis Wendzel. Eric Yang laid a beautiful bunt down the third base line that moved the runners over, and he made it safely to first. Tyler Callihan drew a walk that scored Jordan. Ivan Johnson notched a line drive single that tied the game, and Higgins gave the Bats the late lead with a sac fly to center. Rece Hinds increased the damage with an RBI single that scored Callihan, capping off the Bats' retaliation that gave them a 4-2 lead going into the ninth, a lead that they held to finish off the win.
Getting to that point was not easy. Chase Petty got the nod to begin the series and made his first career start against the Indians. He picked up a strikeout in the top of the first.
Bubba Chandler, top prospect in the Pirates organization, got the start for the Indians. He came out firing, striking out two batters in the first inning.
The Indians got multiple baserunners in the first and second frames, but Petty navigated out of trouble and kept Indianapolis off the board.
In the third inning, Petty allowed a one-out single with the bases loaded, giving the Indians a 1-0 lead. Petty mitigated the damage by picking up two consecutive strikeouts to end the top half of the frame. The Indians had six runners left on base after three innings.
The Bats offense struggled early, only notching one hit through four innings. Chandler pitched four innings, giving up no runs, one hit and two walks, striking out eight batters. Drake Fellows replaced him in the fifth.
Petty's day ended in the fifth after being relieved by Sam Benschoter. Petty threw for four innings and allowed one run, six hits, two walks, and struck out four.
In the sixth, DJ Stewart increased the Indians lead with a homer that went over the Humana Cabana roof in right field. After that, there was a stadium-wide power outage that caused a ten-minute delay. Once the power came back on, both teams played on.
The Bats still struggled to pick up hits throughout the game, with only two of them heading into the energetic eighth. Benschoter came out in the eighth and was replaced by Joe La Sorsa. He finished the day with three innings pitched, allowed one hit, one run, zero walks, and picked up four strikeouts.
La Sorsa (1-0) finished with 1.1 innings pitched, allowing no hits, no runs and no walks and picking up a strikeout. Lenny Torres recorded the save in the ninth while Peter Strzelecki (0-1) took the loss for Indianapolis.
Wendzel went 2-3, and Callihan, Johnson, Higgins and Hinds all picked up an RBI to help the Bats secure the victory.
The Bats (6-4) will take on the Indians (2-5) in game two of the six-game set on Wednesday at 12:05 p.m. ET. Nick Curran and Jim Kelch will be on the call for WKRD Sports Talk 790 AM.
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