LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville Bats (9-11) defeated the Columbus Clippers (10-12) by a 7-2 score on Monday night at Louisville Slugger Field. The Bats won their third consecutive home game and also their third consecutive game against Columbus, outscoring the Clippers 22-5 in the clubs' last three meetings.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville Bats (9-11) defeated the Columbus Clippers (10-12) by a 7-2 score on Monday night at Louisville Slugger Field. The Bats won their third consecutive home game and also their third consecutive game against Columbus, outscoring the Clippers 22-5 in the clubs' last three meetings.
Nick Senzel got the party started for Louisville, smacking an inside-the-park home run in the bottom of the first that was the first inside-the-parker for a Bats hitter since Juan Perez accomplished the feat on April 20 last season against the Scranton Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.
The Bats would tack on three runs in the first, with left-hander Cody Reed (0-0, 3.86) going 4.0 innings and giving up two earned runs on two hits, walking three and striking out one on 72 pitches, 40 strikes. The southpaw got the no-decision, making his fifth consecutive start for Louisville of 4.0 or fewer innings dating back to last season.
Left-hander Shawn Morimando (1-3, 7.03) got the loss for Columbus, going 4.1 innings and giving up five runs (three earned) on seven hits and the Senzel home run, walking four and striking out a pair.
The Bats led by a narrow 3-2 advantage after Columbus scored a pair of runs in the top of the fourth, before exploding for a four-spot in the bottom of the fifth to pull away 7-2. Phil Gosselin contributed two RBI in his Louisville debut, finishing the night 2-for-4 with a run scored and the pair of runs batted in.
Senzel went 1-for-3 with the home run, two walks and a stolen base, his second two-walk game this season. D.J. Peterson extended his team-high hitting streak to six games with a 1-for-5 night, while Brandon Dixon went 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored and a stolen base.
Left-hander Kyle Crockett tossed 2.0 scoreless innings out of the bullpen, while Domingo Tapia recorded his first save of the year with 3.0 scoreless innings to finish off the Clippers.
The Bats and Clippers are back at it tomorrow for game two of the series set for 6:30 p.m. The Bats will start right-hander Robert Stephenson (1-2, 2.95) while the Clippers will counter with right-hander Stephen Fife (0-3, 11.15).
