Bats Drop Matinee In Iowa 4-3

The Louisville Bats’ offensive attack was stymied for most of the afternoon and couldn’t complete their late comeback attempt in a 4-3 loss to the Iowa Cubs in the second game of their six-game series at Principal Park on Wednesday afternoon.

Making his fourth start of the year, Bats righty Lyon Richardson worked around a walk and a single to pitch a scoreless bottom of the first. He worked around a pair of walks in the second before the scoring opened in the third.

Austin Wynns got the top of the third started with a single against Iowa starter Austin Wynns. A ground out moved Wynns to second. Levi Jordan continued his hot start to the season with an infield single to put runners on the corners. Michael Trautwein followed with an RBI fielder’s choice to first, bring Wynns home with the first run of the afternoon.

In the bottom of the frame, the I-Cubs quickly rallied to even the score on a sacrifice fly from David Peralta to score Patrick Wisdom, who began the inning with a double off the left field wall.

Richardson lasted four innings on the mound for the Bats, allowing one run on four hits with four walks and five strikeouts in a no-decision.

Sam Moll (L, 1-2) was first out of the Louisville bullpen and allowed a solo home to Owen Caissie, the second hitter he faced, as the I-Cubs jumped ahead for the first time, 2-1 after five.

With two outs in the sixth, the Bats loaded the bases with two outs against Cubs reliever Edwin Escobar (W, 2-1). However, the Iowa lefty induced a fly out to center from Rece Hinds to maintain the one-run lead for the home team.

The Cubs were able to extend their lead from there against Yosver Zulueta in the bottom of the sixth on a two-run double from Matt Mervis, cashing in a couple of walks from earlier in the inning. Justin Bruihl was able to escape the inning without further damage and did the same in the seventh to hold the deficit at 4-1.

Louisville clawed a little closer in the eighth. Mike Ford began the inning with a single to center for his second hit of the game. Former Iowa Cub P.J. Higgins followed with his first home run as a member of the Bats, a towering two-run blast to left to make it a one-run game at 4-3 Iowa.

With their lead down to just a single run, the Cubs turned to reliever Carl Edwards Jr. (S, 1) out of the bullpen and he worked around a single for a scoreless eighth inning. In the ninth, he returned to the mound and again quickly retired the side to finish the win and earn the save, his first of the season.

For the Bats, Higgins led the way offensively, going 2-for-2 with a home run, two RBI, and two walks. Ford recorded his second straight multi-hit game while Jordan went 2-for-5 from the leadoff spot. The loss is the Bats second straight one-run defeat to begin the road trip.

The Bats (7-10) and I-Cubs (11-6) continue their series with another matinee on Thursday afternoon. First pitch at Principal Park is scheduled for 1:08 p.m. Nick Curran will be on the call for 1450/96.1 WXVW.