Bats Stun Storm Chasers Late In 9-2 Win 

Facing the International League’s top team, the Louisville Bats stormed back from the brink, scoring nine runs over the final three innings to defeat the Omaha Storm Chasers 9-2 on Tuesday night at Werner Park in the opener of a six-game series.

Trailing 2-1 in the top of the eighth, the Bats needed a comeback and they began it against rehabbing Kansas City Royals reliever Dan Altavilla (L, 1-2). The righty walked three of the first four hitters he faced to load the bases with one out. Steven Cruz replaced Altavilla in a critical spot and induced a ground ball up the middle from Davis Wendzel. The ball deflected off Cruz’s glove, resulting in a game-tying infield single.

Cruz got the second out of the inning and nearly escaped with the game tied. Tony Kemp then laced a hard ground ball off the glove of the diving Omaha second baseman and into shallow right field for a two-run single to give the Bats their first lead of the night at 4-2.

Casey Legumina continued his strong relief outing with a one, two, three bottom of the eighth to hold the lead, ending his night with two scoreless innings.

In the ninth, the Bats’ attack exploded to put the game out of reach. With the bases loaded and one out, a fielder’s choice ground ball from Erik Gonzalez allowed a run to score. Wendzel added another with an RBI single to shallow right. P.J. Higgins plated one more with an RBI ground out. A single from Kemp and a double from Tucker Barnhart plated two more, extending Bats’ lead to 9-2. Alan Busenitz wrapped up the win with a clean bottom of the inning.

The game began in an inauspicious fashion for the visitors. A leadoff bunt single from Blake Dunn was quickly erased on a double play ground out from Rece Hinds to get Noah Cameron through the first inning unscathed.

In the bottom of the inning against Bats starter Julian Aguiar, John Rave connected on a leadoff home run that carried over the left field fence, putting the home team on the board six pitches into the bottom of the frame. Aguiar settled down from there, retiring the next 10 Omaha hitters he faced until the fourth. Nick Loftin ended Aguiar’s streak with a one-out single in the fourth. He advanced to second on a ground out and came home to score on an RBI single from Nate Eaton.

Louisville put two on with nobody out to start the fifth. But Cameron navigated through it with a fly out, a strike out, and a ground out. On the other end, Aguiar ended his start with a flourish, striking out a pair in the sixth to end another quality start. Over six innings, he allowed two runs on three hits with seven strikeouts to keep the game close.

Cameron continued into the seventh and got a quick out to begin the inning. Higgins then broke the shutout on a 3-0 pitch with his ninth home run of the season, a 386-foot solo blast to deep left, cutting the Omaha lead in half at 2-1. Cameron departed in line for a win after pitching 6.2 innings, giving up one run on six hits with six strikeouts. Austin Cox held the lead by getting the final out of the inning.

Legumina (W, 6-2) was first out of the Bats bullpen in the seventh and shut the Omaha lineup down in order. The Bats went to work against the Storm Chasers lineup in the eighth, turning the game around for good.

The quartet of Wendzel, Higgins, Kemp, and Barnhart led the way for the Bats offense, combining to go 10-for-20 with eight RBI and three extra base hits. Those four players combined for 10 of Louisville’s 11 hits and eight of the nine RBI. The Bats bullpen of Legumina and Busenitz retired all nine hitters they faced to wrap up the win. The win is the Bats’ sixth this season when trailing after seven innings.

The Bats (56-57, 18-21 second half) and Storm Chasers (70-43, 21-19 second half) continue the series on Wednesday night at Werner Park. First pitch is set for 7:35 p.m. Nick Curran will be on the call for 1450/96.1 WXVW.