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Indians Score 12 Unanswered Over Final Three Innings In Louisville For Triumphant 14-8 Win

July 2, 2023 - International League (IL)
Indianapolis Indians News Release


LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Trailing 8-2 with seven outs at their disposal, the Indianapolis Indians scored 12 unanswered runs to record their largest comeback win since 2014 with a 14-8 victory over the Louisville Bats on Saturday night at Louisville Slugger Field. Cal Mitchell provided the heroics off the bench with a pinch-hit, two-run double in the seventh and a tiebreaking two-run home run in the ninth.

After playing its first 76 games without a last at-bat or walk-off win, Indianapolis (36-42, 3-1) notched its second last at-bat victory in as many nights in thrilling fashion. Facing former Indian Shea Spitzbarth with the bases loaded and two outs in the seventh, Canaan Smith-Njigba rocked a bases-clearing double to right to make it 8-5, and Mitchell brought Indy within one run two batters later with a pinch-hit two-bagger off the base of the wall in left.

John O'Reilly stranded two runners in the bottom of the seventh before a 41-minute rain delay, and on the other side of the brief shower, Indy kept raking. Chris Owings reached first base with one away in the eighth on a fielding error by Bats pitcher Randy Wynne (L, 2-2), and a dropped popup by first baseman Christian Encarnacion-Strand with two outs extended the frame to Miguel Andújar, who laced a game-tying single into right-center.

In the bottom of the eighth, Louisville (41-36, 1-3) put two runners on against Daniel Zamora, but Hunter Stratton (W, 1-4) was summoned and struck out Encarnacion-Strand and induced a fielder's choice off the bat of Henry Ramos to get out of the jam. Ramos nearly snuck a go-ahead knock down the left field line, but it was ruled foul, leading to the ejections of Bats manager Pat Kelly and third base coach Mike Jacobs.

The Indians' momentum carried into the ninth. Indy sent 11 batters to the plate during a six-run burst that started with a towering drive by Mitchell and continued with RBI doubles by Owings and Vinny Capra, another run-scoring single by Andújar, and a Ryan Vilade RBI two-bagger.

The game was all Louisville early. Ramos doubled home Encarnacion-Strand in the first inning, and Nick Martini - who clubbed a pair of three-run home runs - launched his first blast in the second inning over the wall in right-center. Indy cut its deficit to 4-2 in the fourth on an Alika Williams RBI double and sacrifice fly by Josh Bissonette, but the Bats plated four runs in the sixth, the first coming on a Michael Siani RBI single and the final three on Martini's second homer.

Williams finished 3-for-5 to extend his hitting streak to nine games. Vilade went 1-for-2 with two runs, a double, RBI and career-high four walks, the most by an Indian in a game this season.

Quinn Priester yielded four earned runs on five hits and three walks with five strikeouts over 5.0 innings in a no-decision.

The six-run deficit turned into a six-run lead and victory is tied for the third-largest comeback win since 2005. Indy last won a game when trailing by six-plus runs on May 23, 2014, at Charlotte, when it won 15-6 after falling behind 6-0 through two innings.

The Indians and Bats continue their series on Sunday with a 1:05 PM ET start. RHP Jared Jones (0-1, 5.06) is slated to start for Indy against RHP Michael Mariot (3-0, 1.42).

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