Bats Can't Withstand Late Columbus Rally, Fall 13-11

LOUISVILLE, KY – The Louisville Bats (16-21) scored runs in each of the first six innings but were unable to top the Columbus Clippers, falling 13-11 on Saturday night at Louisville Slugger Field.

[Box Score]

Columbus got on the board early, taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning courtesy of a two-out home run.

The Bats promptly answered in the home half of the inning. Elly De La Cruz got the effort started with a one out single to right field. De La Cruz was thrown out trying to steal second bases before Matt McLain followed with a walk and Christian Encarnacion-Strand recorded a single of his own to put two men on with two outs. Nick Martini then stepped to the plate and launched a high fly ball that banged off the center field wall to score McLain and Encarnacion-Strand and give Louisville a 2-1 lead.

Columbus scratched another run across in the second, tying the game at 2-2.

Louisville answered with a run of its own in the bottom of the second to retake the lead 3-2 and continued to score runs in every inning until the seventh, putting up eight more runs, highlighted by a pair of home runs by of Encarnacion-Strand and Michael Siani, to take an 11-5 lead.

Bats starter Andrew Abbott made his Louisville Slugger Field debut, tossing five good innings. Abbott gave up five runs on four hits with a single walk and five strikeouts. After the early two runs, Abbott shut out the Clippers the next three innings before giving up three runs in the top of the sixth inning.

The Clippers clawed their way back into the game, scoring four runs in the seventh to get within two runs, down 11-9 before finally completing the comeback in the ninth with another four-run inning to take a 13-11 lead.

Louisville went down in order in the final frame of the game, sealing the 11-9 loss.

The Bats and Clippers will play the final of this six-game series tomorrow afternoon, Sunday, May 14. First pitch is set for 1:05 pm E.T. as right-hander Jake Wong (0-0, 13.50) will take the mound for Louisville, facing off against left-hander Adam Scott on the mound for Columbus.