With the Louisville Bats and Columbus Clippers battling in a tie game in the eighth inning on Tuesday night at Huntington Park, the skies in Columbus opened, resulting in a suspended game.
The game will resume on Wednesday, May 20 at 12:05 p.m. with the Bats hitting in the top of the eighth inning and the game tied 3-3. The regularly scheduled contest on Wednesday will follow after the conclusion of Tuesday’s game.
The game began with the Bats unable to score until the third inning, but broke the early deadlock. Edwin Arroyo crushed a one-out triple and later scored on Noelvi Marte’s single to give Louisville a 1-0 lead.
Bats starter Sam Benschoter threw a scoreless first three innings but finally faltered in the fourth. He allowed a leadoff single to Nolan Jones, and a first pitch hanging slider to George Valera was crushed 422 feet to center field to give the Clippers a 2-1 lead.
Benschoter struck out CJ Kayfus, then allowed a single to Angel Genao, which ended his evening in the fourth. He allowed two runs on five hits, walked one, and struck out four over 3.1 innings. Julian Garcia used just four pitches to induce an inning-ending double play.
In the fifth, Louisville was a beneficiary once again of Marte’s continued hot streak. The Bats slugger laced a low liner over the left field wall, which flipped the deficit, and gave Louisville a 3-2 lead.
Garcia struck out two batters during his perfect sixth inning and was replaced by Trevor Kuncl in the seventh. Garcia allowed just one hit and struck out three over 2.2 scoreless innings. Kuncl allowed three consecutive two-out singles, which scored a run, and tied the game at three.
As the Bats were rallying in the eighth inning, putting runners on first and second base with one out, a heavy rain descended upon Huntington Park, resulting in the suspension of the game.
The Bats will face Columbus again on Wednesday at 12:05 p.m. with the continuation of Tuesday's game. In the regularly scheduled game to follow, RHP Davis Daniel (5-3, 4.18) will get the ball for Louisville. He’ll oppose southpaw Kolby Allard (0-0, 11.81). Nick Curran will be on the call on Talk Radio 1080.