All-Around Attack Powers Bats To 12-4 Win
The Louisville Bats produced one of their biggest nights at the plate all season with an exceptional offensive ambush, crushing the Omaha Storm Chasers by a score of 12-4 on Thursday night at Louisville Slugger Field. Although the Storm Chasers opened the scoring on a Drew Waters, the Bats were
The Louisville Bats produced one of their biggest nights at the plate all season with an exceptional offensive ambush, crushing the Omaha Storm Chasers by a score of 12-4 on Thursday night at Louisville Slugger Field.
Although the Storm Chasers opened the scoring on a Drew Waters, the Bats were swinging the lumber early and often in this one. Jacob Hurtubise led off the bottom of the frame with a single to center and promptly stole second. Nick Martini followed with a towering 443-foot two-run home run, his seventh with the Bats this season, over the roof of the Humana Cabana in right field, to give Louisville the lead after one.
Pitching with the lead, Louisville starter Randy Wynne worked a scoreless second, and the Bats would extend their lead in the bottom half. Ivan Johnson began the frame with a double to center. Erik Gonzalez followed with a ground ball single through the right side of the infield, brining Johnson home. A ground out would move Gonzalez to second, and Levi Jordan laced a double into the left field corner to give the Bats four runs off Omaha starter Dinelson Lamet in the first two innings.
After Omaha plated a run in the third, the Bats again responded to add on. P.J. Higgins led off the inning with his 11th home run of the season, a 401-foot solo home run that just cleared the left field fence. Later in the inning, a double steal from Johnson and Francisco Urbaez put runners on second and third with two outs. Hurtubise stepped to the place and lined a single to right, scoring both runs to increase the Louisville lead to 7-2.
Louisville chased Lamet (L, 0-2) from the game after 2.2 innings, in which he allowed seven runs on 10 hits with two walks and two strikeouts to take the loss.
Tyler Gentry got one back for Omaha in the fourth with his 16th home run of the season. Jordan responded with his 12th home run of the season and second in as many nights, a 387-foot-blast to left to restore the five-run lead at 8-3.
Wynne (W, 2-3) ended a solid start on the mound with a clean fifth. In his final start of the regular season, Wynne pitched five innings, giving up three runs on seven hits with three strikeouts to earn his second win of the season.
Sam Benschoter was first out of the Louisville bullpen and tossed a clean sixth. The Bats continued to tack on runs in the bottom half. Urbaez hit his second home run of the series, a 364-foot two-run shot to left in the bottom of the sixth. In the seventh, an Edwin Rios RBI single brought in Martini, and Jordan would score on a wild pitch to give the Bats a dozen runs.
Benschoter earned his first Triple-A hold with three solid relief innings, giving up one run on five hits with three strikeouts. Evan Kravetz ended the win for the Bats with a scoreless ninth.
At the plate, all nine Louisville starters recorded at least one hits while eight of the nine scored a run and seven of nine added an RBI. Jordan finished a triple shy of the cycle for the second straight game, going 3-for-5 with a double, home run, two runs scored, and two RBI. Hurtubise and Higgins each posted three hits while Tyler Callihan took three walks in his second Triple-A game. The four stolen bases and four home runs from the Louisville offense each tied a season-high. The win clinches a winning home record for the 2024 Bats, as they have a 37-33 record at Louisville Slugger Field with three games remaining.
The Bats (65-81, 27-45 second half) and Storm Chasers (88-57, 39-33 second half) continue the series on Friday evening. First pitch at Louisville Slugger Field is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. Nick Curran and Jim Kelch will be on the call for 1450/96.1