Bats Even Series with Twin Bill Sweep

June 28, 2024 – International League (IL)
Louisville Bats News Release

TOLEDO, Ohio – The Louisville Bats held to earn a pair of close victories against the Toledo Mud Hens on Friday night at Fifth Third Field, winning an extra-inning thriller 4-2 in the opener than taking advantage of Toledo mistakes in a 6-5 win in the nightcap to even their six-game series with a doubleheaders weep.

The opener was a pitcher’s duel, with Toledo righty Matt Manning shutting down the Bats early. Louisville starter Randy Wynne was also efficient, but he was the one to make the first mistake.

Wynne left one pitch out over the plate with one out in the bottom of the third, and Justice Bigbie hit it over the left field fence for his third home run of the season to open the scoring.

Pitching with the lead, Manning cruised through the third and fourth. Toledo looked to add on in the bottom of the fourth with a two-out double from Riley Unroe. But Bigbie, who singled earlier in the inning, took too big a turn rounding third base and was thrown out getting back to the bag to end the inning, and Wynne’s start. Over four innings, he allowed one run on five hits with four strikeouts.

Manning departed after five hitless innings, walking three and striking out five to depart in line for the win. Against reliever Mason Englert, the Bats offense finally broke through. Rece Hinds recorded the Bats’ first hit with a one-out single. Livan Soto walked to put two on. P.J. Higgins followed with a bloop single to shallow left, bringing Hinds home from second with the tying run.

Brooks Kriske kept the tie with two strikeouts in the bottom of the sixth, finishing his relief outing with five strikeouts over two clean frames. Englert and Yosver Zulueta traded scoreless innings, sending the game to extra innings.

in the eighth, the Bats couldn’t bring a run across against Mud Hens righty Devin Sweet (L, 4-5). Bats closer Tony Santillan then got three straight outs with the winning run on second, extending the game to a ninth inning.

Leading off the ninth, Soto singled and advanced to second on an error while Hinds, the automatic runner, moved to third. Following an intentional walk to Edwin Rios, Michael Trautwein put the Bats ahead for the first time with a double off the wall in left, scoring Hinds and Soto. A sacrifice fly from Conner Capel increased the lead to 4-1, and that would be enough.

Santillan (W, 2-4) allowed a run in the bottom of the ninth but struck out Drew Maggi to end the…