Louisville Wins Home Opener against Gwinnett, 7-6
April 11, 2019 - International League (IL1)
Louisville Bats News Release
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville Bats (4-4) defeated the Gwinnett Stripers (4-3) by a 7-6score on opening night at Louisville Slugger Field, winning their third straight game. This is the first home opening win for the Bats since they defeated Columbus 6-5 in 2014.
In a game that didn't look so hot for the Bats in the first three innings, they came back from a four-run deficit. This is the first time the Bats have come back from a four-run deficit during a home opener since April 5, 2007, when they defeated the Toledo Mud Hens 5-4 after trailing 4-0.
Bats first baseman Brian O'Grady led the way for the Bats with a two-run shot in the sixth and a solo homerun in the eighth. The first homerun of the night for O'Grady being his 50th career home run. Bats right fielder Aristides Aquino hit a two-run bomb to left center in the second.
Bats winning left-handed pitcher Ian Krol (1-1) gave up one hit and struck out one in his 1.1 innings on 16 pitches, 11 strikes.
Louisville totaled nine hits with two hitters having a multi-hit day in Christian Colon going 3-for-4 and O'Grady going 2-for-4.Center fielder Kyle Wren went 1-for-4 with an RBI and second baseman Josh VanMeter went 1-for-4 with a hit.
The Stripers scored five of their six against Louisville starting pitcher Keury Mella in his three innings pitched on five hits. Mella gave up one homerun to Rafael Ortega. Gwinnett didn't score again until the ninth against Louisville's right-handed pitcher Anthony Bass after he allowed them to load the bases and score one. Louisville's other pitchers for the game were right-hander Matt Bowman (2.0 IP) and right-hander Jimmy Herget (1.2IP) kept the Stripers scoreless in their innings pitched.
The Bats stay in Louisville to face the Gwinnett Stripers, Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves, again for the second game of a four-game set. First pitch on Friday night is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. with a right-handed matchup set between Louisville's Vladimir Gutierrez (1-0, 3.38) and Gwinnett's right-hander Mike Soroka (1-0, 0.00).
International League Stories from April 11, 2019
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