Clutch Hits Power Bats Past Knights 6-2

In a game that saw plenty of baserunners on both sides, the Louisville Bats prevailed behind several key hits late in the game, evening their series with the Charlotte Knights with a 6-2 triumph on Wednesday night at Louisville Slugger Field.

Both pitchers worked into and out of trouble at a breakneck pace early. Following a quick first inning on both sides, the runners began to reach in the second.

Charlotte put two on with a pair of two-out singles in the top of the second against Bats righty Julian Aguiar. They wouldn’t score, as Danny Mendick lined out to Bats shortstop Erik Gonzalez for the final out of the frame. The Bats then threatened in the bottom of the frame with a Davis Wendzel single and P.J. Higgins double to put two in scoring position with one out. Knights righty Nick Nastrini navigated through the threat by getting Tony Kemp to pop up and Gonzalez to strike out, ending the inning without a run crossing.

In the bottom of the third, the Bats again looked to strike first as Eric Yang lined a leadoff double to left. Two hitters later, Blake Dunn blooped a single to shallow center. Yang was waved home and tried to score the game’s first run, but was thrown out at the plate by Charlotte center fielder Rafael Ortega.

Again, the Knights and Bats each left runners on base in the fourth before a breakthrough in the fifth. Mark Payton got it started with a double to deep right. Bryan Ramos put the Knights on the board first with a two-run homer that just cleared the left field fence, giving the visitors a 2-0 edge.

Louisville worked hard to respond in the bottom of the frame. A pair of walks and a single loaded the bases with one out. Wendzel got the home team on the board with a sacrifice fly to center. Higgins tied it up with an RBI single to shallow right, bringing the score even at 2-2 after five.

Aguiar got into trouble in the sixth as a walk and a double put runners on second and third with nobody out. Aguiar’s first pitch to Mendick got away from Yang. Colson Montgomery broke home from third looking to score the go-ahead run, but was thrown out at the plate on a great toss from Yang to Aguiar for the first out. Aguiar then induced a comebacker from Mendick to hold the second runner at third base, ending his night. Evan Kravetz (W, 5-2) was called on to get the final out of the frame and did so, striking out Ortega to maintain the 2-2 tie.

Facing Knights reliever Nicholas Padilla (L, 0-1) in the sixth, Louisville again went to work. Gonzalez reached with a one-out walk, Yang was hit by a pitch, and a ground out moved the runners to second and third with two outs. Dunn then delivered the decisive swing, lining a two-run single to right to give the Bats their first lead of the night at 4-2.

In just the fourth relief outing of his career, Lyon Richardson was called on in the top of the seventh and dominated for two innings, inducing weak contact to hold the 4-2 lead into the eighth. A pair of singles started the Bats’ half of the eight against rehabbing White Sox reliever Matt Foster. Yang put the game out of reach with a two-run double to the gap in left-center, increasing the Bats’ lead to 6-2 after eight.

Zach Maxwell made quick work of the Knights in the ninth, finishing the win to even the series at one game apiece.

Offensively, Dunn led the way for Louisville, going 3-for-5 with two RBI. Gonzalez was 2-for-3 with two runs and a stolen base against his former team. Yang produced a pair of doubles in a 2-for-3 performance, driving in a pair.

The Bats (52-56, 14-20 second half) and Knights (50-57, 17-16 second half) continue the series on Thursday night at Louisville Slugger Field. First pitch is set for 6:35 p.m. Nick Curran and Jim Kelch will be on the call for 1450/96.1 WXVW.