INDIANAPOLIS – The Columbus Clippers scored five runs in the first two innings as they defeated the Indianapolis Indians, 7-4, on Saturday night at Victory Field. Robert Hassell III recorded three hits and Jack Brannigan reached base four times.
Columbus (27-27, 68-60) scored three runs in the first inning and tallied two in the second frame, tagging Indians’ (34-22, 65-66) starter Connor Wietgrefe (L, 4-5), for five runs, five hits and four walks.
Indy began chipping away as a sacrifice fly from Brannigan brought home Mitch Jebb in the bottom of the first, putting the score at 3-1. A two-run triple by Kody Huff extended the Clippers’ lead to 7-1 in the fourth. Hassell doubled home Brannigan in the bottom of the fourth and Nick Cimillo followed with an infield single, as Hassell scored on a throwing error from Milan Tolentino on the play. Hassell tacked on one more time in the sixth, again plating Brannigan with an RBI single to left field to cut the deficit to 7-4.
Wietgrefe’s outing lasted just 1.2 innings, his shortest appearance of the 2026 season between Indy and Double-A Altoona. Columbus’ Austin Peterson (W, 5-8) tossed 5.0 innings of three-run ball (2er) and Connor Brogdon (S, 1) entered with two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth, striking out Joshua Palacios to end the game.
Indianapolis and Columbus conclude this week’s six-game series at the Vic on Sunday at 1:35 PM ET. RHP Thomas Harrington (2-6, 5.72) is scheduled to start for the Indians and RHP Trenton Denholm (9-5, 4.82) will take the hill for the Clippers.