ST. PAUL, Minnesota – The Louisville Bats recorded six extra-base hits, including three home runs, to back a solid outing by Connor Phillips and defeat the Saints 8-4 on Thursday night in St. Paul.
Saints starter Caleb Boushley kept the Bats off the board in the first, and Austin Martin began the St. Paul half with a single. Phillips forced DaShawn Keirsey Jr. to fly out, but followed that by hitting the next two Saints hitters to load the bases with just one out. Alex Insola scored Martin from third on a sacrifice fly to give St. Paul an early 1-0 lead.
In the third frame, newly rehabbing T.J. Friedl tallied his first Bats hit of the year with a double to center field, but Boushley halted the Louisville threat to post another zero. Keirsey Jr. then led off the Saints turn at the plate with his fourth home run to double the St. Paul lead at 2-0.
With one out in the fifth, Erik González legged out an infield single and Rece Hinds followed with a 494-foot blast to left center field to tally his second consecutive game with a home run and tie the game at 2. Michael Boyle then came out of the bullpen to replace Boushley, and the Bats were quick to greet him. Livan Soto singled on a bunt and P.J. Higgins doubled on the first pitch he saw to score Soto. Edwin Ríos was right behind him, recording a second straight double for the Bats and scoring Higgins to extend the Bats advantage to 4-2.
The Saints were ready to respond in the bottom half, as Martin walked and stole second and Keirsey singled to center field to score Martin and cut the Bats lead in half. Later in the frame, Matt Wallner homered to left center field to tie the game once again at 4.
Louisville continued their strong night at the plate in the sixth. Austin Wynns reached on an error to begin the inning, and Hernán Pérez worked a walk to set the table for the Bats. González followed with a strikeout, but Friedl worked another walk and Hinds came through with a single to score Wynns and Pérez and put the Bats right back out in front at 6-4.
Tyler Gilbert was the first out of the bullpen for the Bats, working a scoreless sixth to keep the momentum on Louisville’s side. Alex Young, who began his rehab assignment today along with Friedl, was the call for Pat Kelly in the seventh, and after walking Martin to begin the frame, Young struck out two of the next three Saints to post a zero.
In the eighth, González hit the first home run of his Bats tenure off St. Paul reliever Josh Staumont with a 423-foot shot that increased the Bats lead to three at 7-4. Back at the top of the order, Blake Dunn came in to pinch-hit for Friedl and earned a walk. Dunn then stole second, but Hinds struck out and Soto flew out to end the threat.
Brooks Kriske came on in the bottom half and silenced the Saints bats once again, tallying two strikeouts in a one, two, three inning.
The Louisville offense wasn’t done yet. Ríos, already with two hits and a double in the game, took a Hobie Haris cutter over the wall for his third home run this year to extend the Bats lead to 8-4.
Tony Santillan was the man for the ninth, and with the help of an impressive Hinds catch in right field, he shut the door on the Saints and finalized the 8-4 Louisville win.
Hinds totaled a team-high four RBI to go along with a home run while Ríos had his first three-hit effort as a Bat with a double and a home run in the winning cause.
Phillips went five innings, allowing four runs and striking out two. The Louisville bullpen continued to be a strong piece for the Bats, as Gilbert, Young, Kriske, and Santillan each went one inning and allowed zero runs combined.
Louisville (15-15) will continue the series against the Saints (11-17) Friday, May 3 with the fourth of six games in St. Paul. First pitch is set for 7:37 p.m. and Nick Curran will be on the call for 1450/96.1 WXVW.
