The Louisville Bats got just enough offense and timely relief pitching late in the game to emerge victorious 10-8 in a slugfest with the Nashville Sounds on Saturday night at Louisville Slugger Field.
Making the spot start for the Bats, righty Sam Benschoter got off to an inauspicious start as a leadoff walk to Jett Williams and a homer from Cooper Pratt had the Bats down 2-0 two hitters into the game. The Sounds would add another run on Jeferson Quero’s RBI double to take a 3-0 lead in their opening turn at the dish.
The Bats were quick to respond against Sounds righty Carlos Rodriguez. Edwin Arroyo got the inning started with a double and Hector Rodriguez followed with a towering 450-foot home run over the Miller Time Taphouse in right-center field to make it 3-2. The homer is the sixth for Rodriguez on the season and the second-longest homer by any Bats player in 2026.
Benschoter settled down to keep the Sounds off the board for the rest of his start. Over three innings, he gave up the three runs on two hits with two walks and four strikeouts.
In the fourth, the Sounds restored their lead with three runs against Bats reliever Lyon Richardson. The lead wouldn’t last.
A pair of walks and a bunt single from Garrett Hampson loaded the bases with nobody out to start the bottom half. Arroyo drove in a run with a ground ball single through the left side of the infield. Rodriguez then tied the game with a double into the right field corner, scoring two runs. Noelvi Marte gave the Bats their first lead of the night with an RBI fielder’s choice, making it 7-6 Louisville after four.
Arroyo drove in another run in the fifth with his second double of the night to plate P.J. Higgins, who scored all the way from first after singling earlier in the inning. Rodriguez followed with a double into the right field corner, scoring two more runs to tie the game. Then, a fielder’s choice from Noelvi Marte scored the go-ahead run to put the Bats up for the first time 7-6. Another RBI double from Arroyo in the fifth made it 8-6.
Nashville got the runs back in the sixth on Luis Lara’s two-run single off Antohny Misiewicz (W, 1-0), evening the score at eight. With one out in the bottom of the frame, Rece Hinds obliterated a 440-foot moonshot that just stayed fair inside the left field foul pole to put the Bats back on top 9-8.
Misiewicz and Trevor Kuncl combined to work through the seventh unscathed then Arroyo drove in a key insurance run with his fourth hit of the night, an RBI single to left to get the Bats into double digits at 10-8.
Kuncl shut the Sounds down with a 1-2-3 eighth and Yunior Marte (S, 3) worked around a pair of ninth inning single to finish the win and earn his team-leading third save of the season.
The win puts the Bats one game behind Memphis and Gwinnett for first place in the International League standings. Arroyo led the way by going 4-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored. Rodriguez drove in four runs while Hampson posted three hits from the bottom of the lineup.
The Bats (23-15) and Sounds (19-19) conclude their series with a Mother’s Day matinee on Sunday afternoon. First pitch is set for 1:05 p.m. at Louisville Slugger Field. Nick Curran and Jim Kelch will be on the call for Sports Talk 790 AM.