Bats Can't Capitalize On Early Lead In 5-4 Loss To Omaha

Despite claiming an early lead, the Bats ultimately fell to the Storm Chasers with a final score of 5-4 at Werner Park on Wednesday night.

Rece Hinds went 2-for-4 with two RBI doubles and P.J. Higgins went 3-for-4 with two singles and a solo home run. Edwin Ríos also had a multi-hit effort, going 2-for-4 an RBI single against Omaha’s starter Jonathan Bowlan (W, 9-4).

Louisville got off to a quick start, taking an quick lead in the top of the first. After challenging a pitch call, Blake Dunn walked to lead off the inning and Hinds followed up with an RBI double to put the Bats on the board 1-0. After stealing third, Hinds scored on a single from Ríos. Despite back-to-back singles from Higgins and Michael Trautwein to load the bases, all three runners were stranded, leaving Louisville with a 2-0 lead by the end of the frame.

The Bats got back to business in the top of the third, starting with a leadoff single from Ríos. David Wendzel and Higgins knocked a single each to load the bases, and a double play ball off the bat of Michael Trautwein scored Ríos and moved the tally to 3-0.

With a solo shot in the top of the fifth, Higgins strengthened the Bats’ advantage at 4-0. Higgins’ 378-foot longball, his tenth homer of the season, traveled a foot farther than his 377-foot home run he hit in Tuesday night’s game.

Omaha fought back in the bottom of the fifth with a two-out single from Nick Pratto. A double from Nelson Velázquez and single from Cam Devanney put a run up for the Storm Chasers, bringing the score to 4-1, and Omaha added another with a double followed by a sacrifice fly to cut the Louisville lead in half at 4-2.

After a quiet couple of innings, the Storm Chasers got back to work, taking advantage of back-to-back walks and a timely three-run homer from Ryan Fitzgerald to take their first lead of the night at 5-4 headed into the ninth.

Although Hinds drew a walk to put a runner on for the Bats in the top of the ninth, the lineup was unable to capitalize and were defeated by the Storm Chasers with a final score of 5-4.

Louisville’s Brandon Leibrandt dazzled in his sixth start for the club this season, allowing just two runs with seven strikeouts through six innings of work. The lefty kept Omaha hitless through five frames with four consecutive 1-2-3 innings. Yosver Zulueta (L, 2-1) took the loss after giving up the three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth.

The Bats (56-58, 18-22 second half) and Storm Chasers (71-43, 22-19 second half) continue the six-game set on Thursday night at Werner Park. First pitch is set for 7:35 p.m with Nick Curran on the call for 1450/96.1 WXVW.