iLocalNews - Louisville

Home
iLocalNews - Louisville

We are dedicated to covering Louisville news and invite you to tell us what is going on in your comm

Frustrated by the lack of locally-owned media outlets and local news content, a team of individuals created iLocalNews. Like you, we saw a number of professional journalists losing their jobs at local news outlets and diminished reporting on community news and activities. Many important local news stories, ranging from local government corruption to high school sports activities, go unreported eve

ry day. We were determined to find a way for important local news stories to reach community audiences. iLocalNews provides an interactive neighborhood-based website enabling citizens and professional journalists to report and share local news and information with their communities. We worked with local communities and businesses to fulfill a need and built a digital framework where professional journalists and local residents can file stories and opinions, with audio, video and photographs about important local news, events and issues. Citizens move from the audience, reading yesterday’s news, to the writer’s desk, sharing local breaking news and views with their communities. Our mission is to provide real-time local news and information, foster a renewed sense of community engagement and promote transparency in local government. Democracies flourish when local news outlets keep a watchful eye on local government activities. Our vision is to become every hometown’s most trusted local news source and digital marketplace, where local news consumers file stories and stimulate local economic growth through the exchange of goods and services.

09/05/2025

BATS CRUSHED BY STORM CHASERS SIX-RUN SIXTH, FALL 6-1
Omaha plates six in the sixth to snap Louisville’s winning streak

LOUISVILLE, Kentucky – For all but one ill-fated inning on Thursday, the Louisville Bats held the Omaha Storm Chasers scoreless. However, all it took for the Storm Chasers was an explosion in the sixth inning to put the game out of reach and defeat the Bats, 6-1.

Right out of the gates, Omaha threatened by hitting back-to-back singles to begin the game, but Louisville starter Randy Wynne (L, 1-4) regrouped and recovered, forcing a double play and fly out to avert danger. Just like the Storm Chasers, the Bats led off the first inning with a hit, courtesy of an Ivan Johnson double. But just like Omaha, Louisville couldn’t get the run home.

Wynne’s first inning recovery seemed to provide him with added confidence, as he shut down the Storm Chasers in the following frames. Sitting down 13-straight Storm Chasers, Wynne kept Omaha from striking.

As the Storm Chasers remained silent, the Bats struck. With one swing of the bat, Levi Jordan put Louisville on the board, launching a solo homer over the left field wall off Omaha starter Thomas Hatch (W, 1-2).

Through five frames, the Bats’ 1-0 lead stood firm. Following the Storm Chasers’ two base knocks in the first, Wynne surrendered just one hit to the ensuing 15 hitters. But when Omaha came to the plate in the sixth, things rapidly unraveled for Wynne.

For the first two hitters in the frame, Wynne forced soft contact. Nonetheless, both amounted to infield singles, setting up Nick Loftin to end the Storm Chasers’ scoreless night. Blasting a 401-foot three-run shot, Loftin didn’t just put Omaha on the board – he put them ahead, 3-1. Keeping the rally alive, MJ Melendez ripped a double to right, knocking Wynne out of the game.

Unfortunately for the Bats, their bullpen didn’t fare much better. Albert Abreu took over hoping to halt the Storm Chasers but couldn’t stop Omaha’s barrage of hits. Brian O’Keefe singled to put two runners on, and Nelson Velazquez cleared the bases with a 428-foot homer to double the score to 6-1.

The bleeding finally stopped there, but the Storm Chasers’ six-run frame was too big a hole to climb out of for the Bats.

Facing a five-run deficit, Louisville couldn’t muster much at the plate in response. Over the final three innings, the Bats collected just one hit, dashing any real hope of a comeback. Besides Jordan’s homer, the Bats had little luck at the plate. Louisville tallied seven hits in total, two from Will Benson.

After the sixth inning, Louisville relievers Reiver Sanmartin, Evan Kravetz, and Alexis Diaz each threw a scoreless inning, but that didn’t change the result – one explosive inning was all Omaha needed.

The Bats (18-17) look to rebound as they continue their series against the Storm Chasers (14-20) on Friday. First pitch is set for 7:15 p.m. ET. Nick Curran and Jim Kelch will be on the call for Talk Radio 1080.

07/05/2025

Bats Snag Win in Back-and-Forth Contest
Louisville relievers hold Omaha at bay, help secure win

The Louisville Bats won a tight one against the Omaha Storm Chasers, winning 6-5 at Louisville Slugger Field. This was the Bats' third win in a row, and they are 2-0 in the six-game set with the Storm Chasers.

Omaha wasted no time getting on the board as John Rave hit a leadoff home run off Bats starter Aaron Wilkerson. Rave homered again in the third inning, this time a two-run shot, putting the Storm Chasers ahead 3-0 after the second big fly.

The Bats responded in the bottom of the frame. Ivan Johnson picked up a one-out single, and Will Benson smacked a 411-foot homer to deep right field. Francisco Urbaez made it back-to-back big flies with his first home run of the season, tying the score at three.

In the fourth, Omaha threatened with more baserunners. Harold Castro and Tyler Gentry both singled to get on base, and Castro scored on a single from Luca Tresh. The score was 4-3 in favor of the Storm Chasers after the inning.

Rave’s hot day continued in the fifth with a leadoff double. He scored on a sacrifice fly from Castro. Wilkerson was relieved in the middle of the inning by Sam Benschoter (W, 2-0). With two runners on, Benschoter navigated out of any more trouble, but the Storm Chasers still led 5-3.

Louisville responded once again in the sixth inning. Benson and Urbaez both picked singles to start the inning. After Ryan Brady (L, 1-1) came in to replace Storm Chasers starter Chandler Champlain, P.J. Higgins drew a walk to load the bases. Davis Wendzel got hit by a pitch, and that brought in Benson to score. Will Banfield hit a sacrifice fly to deep center field, bringing home Urbaez to tie the game.

The Bats didn’t stop there, taking their first lead of the game in the seventh. Benson reached base on a fielder's choice, then with two away in the inning, Urbaez singled. Benson moved to second on the hit and scored a run on a single from Edwin Rios to give the Bats the lead. Louisville loaded the bases but couldn’t get any more runs across and finished the inning up 6-5.

Benschoter threw 2.1 hitless innings until he was relieved by Sam Moll to start the eighth. Moll kept the streak going, and the two pitchers retired ten in a row going back to the fifth inning.

Zach Maxwell (S, 3) came in to close the game in the ninth. He gave up a hit but kept the Storm Chasers off the board and secured the win for the Bats.

Urbaez finished 4-4 with a home run and a double. He is now 6-6 in the series. Benson finished 2-4 with a home run and two RBI. Rios, Wendzel, and Banfield all finished with one RBI each.

The Bats (18-16) will continue their series with the Storm Chasers (13-20) with game three on Thursday. First pitch is set for 6:35 p.m. ET with Nick Curran and Jim Kelch on the call on Sports Talk 790.

07/05/2025

Petty, Johnson Guide Bats to Win in Opener

Bats ride Chase Petty’s six no-hit frames and Ivan Johnson’s grand slam to series-opening victory over Omaha

By Anthony Acquisto

Chase Petty’s six no-hit innings set the tone for the Louisville Bats in their 9-1 beatdown of the Omaha Storm Chasers in the series opener. It was everything Petty could have asked for in his return to the Bats after struggling in his MLB debut last Wednesday.

Petty (W, 1-2) cruised through his first two innings of work but ran into some trouble in the third, walking the bottom two hitters in the Omaha order to lead off the inning. After a flyout to center moved both runners into scoring position, P.J. Higgins made a strong throw off a grounder to third to cut down Joey Wiemer at the plate, keeping the game scoreless. Petty proceeded to strike out the next batter he faced for the third out, escaping unscathed.

Louisville applied some pressure to Omaha southpaw Noah Cameron (L, 2-1) in the fourth, as Rece Hinds followed a Will Benson leadoff walk with a double to center, putting runners on second and third with nobody out. Edwin Rios then poked one into shallow left center to put the Bats up 1-0, and Francisco Urbaez doubled the Louisville lead with a sacrifice fly.

Petty recorded his fifth and sixth strikeouts of the game in a strong fifth inning and added two more punchouts in the sixth. Hinds led off the bottom of the sixth with a home run off the top of the left-center field wall to make it 3-0 Bats, knocking the Omaha starter Cameron out of the game. Urbaez drew a walk off of new Storm Chasers pitcher Junior Fernandez, and after advancing to second on a wild pitch, he came around to score on a Higgins single up the middle, making it 4-0 Louisville.

Joe La Sorsa entered in relief of Petty in the seventh, as the 22-year-old Bats starter exited after six no-hit innings with eight strikeouts. La Sorsa surrendered Omaha’s first hit of the game with two outs, a bloop single to left-center by Harold Castro, but followed it by catching Tyler Tolbert looking for the third out.

The Bats turned it over to Lenny Torres Jr. for the eighth, who quickly recorded the first two outs before John Rave sent a ball over the left field wall, ending the shutout bid and cutting the Louisville lead to 4-1.

Looking to add to their advantage, the Bats loaded the bases on three-straight one-out hits in the bottom of the eighth. Eric Yang took a hard sinker off the elbow pad to bring home a run, and Ivan Johnson snapped an 0-13 skid with an opposite field grand slam to blow the game wide open, 9-1. It was the first Bats grand slam since Jason Vosler cracked one against St. Paul on September 6, 2023.

Alexis Diaz came on for the ninth, looking to close out the Storm Chasers. He did just that, posting a zero and securing a series-opening victory over Omaha.

Three Bats logged multi-hit efforts in the ballgame, including Higgins’ second straight three-hit game. Hinds homered for the third game in a row, and Johnson’s grand slam was the first bases-loaded bomb of the season for Louisville.

The Bats (17-16) will continue their series with the Storm Chasers (13-19) with game two on Wednesday morning. First pitch is set for 11:05 a.m. ET with Nick Curran and Jim Kelch on the call for Talk Radio 1080.

23/04/2025

BATS SURGE LATE, TAKE GAME ONE OVER CUBS
Louisville scores four in the eighth to roll past Iowa
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – APRIL 22, 2025

LOUISVILLE, Kentucky – The Louisville Bats opened their six-game series with the Iowa Cubs by winning 8-4 at Louisville Slugger Field on Tuesday night.

The Bats made their move in the eighth inning to take the lead. With the score tied at four, Davis Wendzel drilled a leadoff single between third and shortstop off Nate Pearson (L, 0-1). Jacob Hurtubise followed the hit with a walk. Tyler Callihan bunted down the third base side to advance both runners. Rece Hinds brought in the go-ahead run with a catcher's interference on Moises Ballesteros. Edwin Rios slammed a two-out, bases-loaded double that scored three runs, and the Bats held on in the ninth.

Leading up to the eighth, Drew Parrish made his fifth start for the Bats this season. He has allowed three or fewer runs in each of his starts.

The scoring began for the Cubs in the second inning with a solo shot from Ben Cowles. Kevin Alcantara, the sixth-rated prospect in the Cubs organization, picked up a homer of his own to give the Cubs a 2-0 advantage.

Iowa picked up another run to make the score 3-0. The Bats were hitless through the first two frames but came alive in the third. Hurtubise notched a leadoff single, and Callihan increased his on-base streak to 20 with a base hit. Tyler Stephenson doubled to left, which scored Hurtubise, and Callihan scored on an RBI groundout by Will Benson. The Bats picked up two runs but were still down 3-2 at the end of the frame.

Parrish exited the game during the fourth inning. He finished with 4.2 innings pitched and gave up five hits, three runs, five walks, and struck out three. Evan Kravetz finished the fifth.

Cubs starter Javier Assad ended his day with four innings pitched and allowed three hits, two runs, three walks, and struck out five. Keegan Thompson came in to relieve.

Yosver Zulueta came in to pitch in the sixth for Louisville. He gave up a run on an RBI single from Chase Strumpf that extended the Cubs lead to 4-2.

In the bottom of the frame, Rios knocked a leadoff triple. Levi Jordan hit a sacrifice fly to left, allowing Rios to tag up and score. The Bats chipped away at the Cubs lead but still trailed by a run.

Sam Moll came in to begin the seventh inning in relief of Zulueta. He threw a scoreless inning. Luis Mey (W, 1-1) also threw a scoreless inning in the eighth.

The Bats put multiple runners on base in the bottom half of the inning. Will Banfield slapped a single into right and moved to second on an error. Benson got hit by a pitch, and Rios walked to load the bases. After a pitching change, P.J. Higgins was hit by a pitch, which scored Banfield. The runners ended up stranded, but the Bats tied the score at four apiece before striking in the eighth.

Rios went 2-4 with a walk and three RBI in the win. Stephenson, Benson, Hinds, Higgins and Jordan each picked up an RBI on one hit.

The Bats (12-10) will meet the Cubs (11-8) on Wednesday morning for game two. First pitch will be at 11:05 a.m. ET. and Nick Curran and Jim Kelch will be on the call for Sports Talk 790 AM.

15/04/2025

LOUISVILLE BATS TO HOST FREE MLB PITCH HIT & RUN COMPETITION
Free event scheduled for Saturday, May 17 at Louisville Slugger Field

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – APRIL 15, 2025

LOUISVILLE, Kentucky – The Louisville Bats, in partnership with Kentuckiana RBI, are set to host the first ever Major League Baseball Pitch Hit & Run competition at Louisville Slugger Field on Saturday, May 17 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Pitch Hit & Run, a FREE event, is Major League Baseball’s official baseball and softball skills competition for boys and girls ages 7 to 14. Each competitor will have their skills tested and recorded. Based on those scores, the competitor may advance from this Louisville event to the Team Championship held at Great American Ball Park, home to the Cincinnati Reds. Top scores then qualify for an all-expenses-paid trip for two to compete at the Pitch Hit & Run Finals, held at the World Series.

“The Louisville Bats are excited to announce, on Jackie Robinson Day, that we will host for the first time Major League Baseball’s Pitch Hit & Run competition here at Louisville Slugger Field,” said Greg Galiette, President of the Louisville Bats. “We are developing a strategic alliance with Kentuckiana RBI to further develop the game of baseball and softball in the Kentuckiana Region, and this Pitch Hit & Run experience will be a great beginning for our community.”

Kentuckiana RBI is Major League Baseball’s official NIKE RBI affiliate for the Kentuckiana region. NIKE RBI, entering its 37th year, is MLB’s youth outreach program to revive baseball in inner cities and communities around the world.

“It is an honor to be selected by Major League Baseball as a NIKE RBI affiliate,” said Chris Miles, founder of Kentuckiana RBI and local community leader.

“When I received the NIKE RBI designation, I immediately reached out to Greg [Galiette] to see if there was an interest to partner the Louisville Bats and Kentuckiana RBI. Greg was so enthusiastic and supportive of the idea that we agreed a positive first step would be hosting MLB’s Pitch Hit & Run, and we could not be more excited,” continued Miles.

“To be clear, kids between the ages of 7 to 14 do not have to have any experience playing the game of baseball or softball to be eligible to participate in Pitch Hit & Run,” mentioned Miles. “So please come out and wear your favorite MLB team jersey or local little league uniform, on Saturday, May 17th.”

For free registration, visit www.KentuckianaRBI.leagueapps.com and go to Events.

Benefits of registering include an opportunity to receive a complimentary 2025 MLB.tv subscription, discounts on MLB-licensed merchandise and equipment and more.

For additional Bats media information, please contact Aaron Cheris
([email protected])

For additional Kentuckiana RBI information, please contact Chris Miles
([email protected]) or (317) 695-6685

09/04/2025

Bats Mount Late-Game Comeback to Take Series Opener
Four runs in the eighth inning spark Bats to victory

The Louisville Bats rallied with a four-run eighth inning to win 4-2, resurging to take game one of the series with the Indianapolis Indians at Louisville Slugger Field.

By the eighth inning, the Bats had struggled with only two hits to that point on the night, but they came alive in the frame. It started with a lead-off walk by Levi Jordan and a single by Davis Wendzel. Eric Yang laid a beautiful bunt down the third base line that moved the runners over, and he made it safely to first. Tyler Callihan drew a walk that scored Jordan. Ivan Johnson notched a line drive single that tied the game, and Higgins gave the Bats the late lead with a sac fly to center. Rece Hinds increased the damage with an RBI single that scored Callihan, capping off the Bats’ retaliation that gave them a 4-2 lead going into the ninth, a lead that they held to finish off the win.

Getting to that point was not easy. Chase Petty got the nod to begin the series and made his first career start against the Indians. He picked up a strikeout in the top of the first.

Bubba Chandler, top prospect in the Pirates organization, got the start for the Indians. He came out firing, striking out two batters in the first inning.

The Indians got multiple baserunners in the first and second frames, but Petty navigated out of trouble and kept Indianapolis off the board.

In the third inning, Petty allowed a one-out single with the bases loaded, giving the Indians a 1-0 lead. Petty mitigated the damage by picking up two consecutive strikeouts to end the top half of the frame. The Indians had six runners left on base after three innings.

The Bats offense struggled early, only notching one hit through four innings. Chandler pitched four innings, giving up no runs, one hit and two walks, striking out eight batters. Drake Fellows replaced him in the fifth.

Petty’s day ended in the fifth after being relieved by Sam Benschoter. Petty threw for four innings and allowed one run, six hits, two walks, and struck out four.

In the sixth, DJ Stewart increased the Indians lead with a homer that went over the Humana Cabana roof in right field. After that, there was a stadium-wide power outage that caused a ten-minute delay. Once the power came back on, both teams played on.

The Bats still struggled to pick up hits throughout the game, with only two of them heading into the energetic eighth. Benschoter came out in the eighth and was replaced by Joe La Sorsa. He finished the day with three innings pitched, allowed one hit, one run, zero walks, and picked up four strikeouts.

La Sorsa (1-0) finished with 1.1 innings pitched, allowing no hits, no runs and no walks and picking up a strikeout. Lenny Torres recorded the save in the ninth while Peter Strzelecki (0-1) took the loss for Indianapolis.

Wendzel went 2-3, and Callihan, Johnson, Higgins and Hinds all picked up an RBI to help the Bats secure the victory.

The Bats (6-4) will take on the Indians (2-5) in game two of the six-game set on Wednesday at 12:05 p.m. ET. Nick Curran and Jim Kelch will be on the call for WKRD Sports Talk 790 AM.

06/04/2025

BATS STORM BACK TO WIN WILD ONE IN OMAHA 7-5
Back-to-back Bats homers highlight four-run 10th inning

PAPILLION, Nebraska - The Louisville Bats offense came to life late, tying the game with two outs in the ninth and scoring four runs in the 10th inning to surge past the Omaha Storm Chasers 7-5 in the series finale on Sunday afternoon. With the victory, Louisville and Omaha split the six-game series at Werner Park.

The Bats immediately opened the scoring in the first frame as Will Benson put them on the board with a 2-run double, extending his hitting streak to nine games as he continues his torrid start to the season.

On the other side of the ball, Andrew Abbott took the rubber for the Bats, continuing his rehab assignment from a left shoulder injury. In his second game with the Bats, the Storm Chasers immediately struck. Omaha notched two hits to cut Louisville’s lead in half in the first.

Meanwhile, the Bats continued testing Omaha starter Luinder Avila, recording a hit off him in each of the first four frames. Louisville couldn’t capitalize after the first, leaving five runners stranded and allowing the Storm Chasers to stay in striking distance. And strike they did, as Harold Castro erased the Bats’ lead with a solo home run in the fourth inning.

After giving up a hit in the bottom of the fourth, Abbott’s day came to an end. In 4.1 innings he allowed two runs on four hits, three walks and struck out four. Yosver Zulueta took over, getting the final two outs of the inning.

As soon as Omaha turned to its bullpen in the seventh, the Bats threatened. Two singles and a double steal put both runners in scoring position, giving Louisville a promising opportunity to take the lead. Once again, though, the opportunity slipped away against Omaha reliever Evan Sisk.

Similarly to Louisville, the Storm Chasers put runners on base in the seventh. Unlike the Bats, though, Omaha capitalized against another Reds rehabbing pitcher, Alexis Diaz. An error by Rece Hinds followed by a double and a single loaded the based, and Joey Weimer gave the Storm Chasers their first lead of the game at 3-2 with a sacrifice fly.

Jonathan Bowlan took the mound for Omaha in the eighth and worked his way around a leadoff walk, keeping the Storm Chasers ahead. With the Bats down one with three outs left to play with, Bowlan returned for the ninth inning, looking for a six-out save. Louisville wouldn’t go down without a fight.

After a strikeout to open the frame, Ivan Johnson and Tyler Callihan each singled to put runners on the corners. With the tying run 90 feet away, Francisco Urbaez cracked a fly ball to center field. Third base coach Julio Morillo opted not to send Johnson from third as Wiemer made a strong throw home. With that decision, Louisville remained in a one-run hole with just one out left. The Bats then had exactly who they wanted at the plate with the game on the line, Benson.

All day, the Bats had struggled to capitalize on opportunities, leaving the previous 10 runners in scoring position stranded. Benson prevented that poor streak from extending by delivering bloop single to left that brought Johnson home with the tying run and forced the bottom of the ninth. The Storm Chasers led off the bottom of the ninth with a single, but Lyon Richardson (W, 1-0) retired the following three batters to send the game to extra innings.

Benson’s ninth-inning heroics seemed to be the wake-up call the Bats needed.

In Louisville’s first extra inning game of the season, they didn’t just come out swinging, they came out slugging against Austin Cox (L, 0-1). Edwin Ríos not only brought home the designated runner, but he gave the Bats a two-run lead with one swing of the bat, launching a home run over the left field wall for his first big fly of the year.

That wasn’t enough for the Bats, though. Hinds followed Ríos lead by going yard himself, the Bats’ first back-to-back home runs since August 22, 2023 vs. Toledo. Louisville tacked on one more run on an Urbaez RBI single for a four-run frame, scoring more runs in the 10th inning than in the previous nine combined.

The Bats’ four run lead proved too much for Omaha. A two-run homer from Tyler Gentry cut the Storm Chasers deficit in half, but with Louisville’s insurance runs proved decisive as Richardson locked down the victory.

Callihan notched three hits and two walks, Johnson went 3-for-5 and scored the tying run in the ninth and Benson continued his strong streak by going 2-for-6 with three RBI.

After The Bats (5-4) victory in the series finale against the Storm Chasers (4-4), Louisville will return to Louisville Slugger Field on Tuesday, April 8 to take on the Indianapolis Indians. Game one of the six-game series begins at 6:35 p.m. ET. Nick Curran and Jim Kelch will be on the call for Sports Talk 790 AM.

05/04/2025

Bats Pitching Twirls Shutout 4-0 Win
Bats blank Omaha for first shutout of 2025 season

The Louisville Bats jumped out to an early lead and never looked back, beating the Omaha Storm Chasers 4-0 to take game five of their six-game series on Saturday afternoon at Werner Park with their first shutout of the 2025 season.

A dominant performance on the mound from starter Aaron Wilkerson (W, 1-1) helped end the Bats’ three-game losing streak, as he picked up his first win in a Louisville uniform.

The first inning was quiet before the Bats jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second. After a single from Noelvi Marte and a walk from Edwin Rios, Rece Hinds hit an RBI single that scored Marte. Davis Wendzel got hit by a pitch which loaded the bases. Ivan Johnson hit a grounder to first, and first baseman Nick Pratto stepped on the bag, then fired a throw home to try and catch Rios, but it was not in time as Rios scored on a close play at the plate. Tyler Callihan got a two-out infield single that allowed Wendzel to score and gave Louisville early momentum.

Wilkerson began the bottom of the frame by giving up a leadoff single to Harold Castro. Wilkerson then struck out Brian O’Keefe, and ended the inning with a strike him out, throw him out double play. He sat down Pratto with strike three, then catcher Will Banfield threw out Castro trying to take second.

The Bats offense stayed hot in the third inning. Marte knocked a ground rule double, and Rios followed with a walk. Marte moved to third on a fielder's choice from Hinds as Rios was out at second. With two outs and Marte and Hinds on the corners, Hinds stole second. O’Keefe, the Omaha catcher, threw down to second, which allowed Marte to steal home and gave the Bats a 4-0 lead.

Storm Chasers starter Chandler Champlain (L, 0-1) was pulled after six innings. He allowed four runs, two walks, and struck out four.

Wilkerson looked unstoppable through six innings. He retired 15 batters in a row going back to the second inning, including striking out the side in the third. He finished with two hits against, no runs, and nine strikeouts, two short of tying his career high of 11. Joe La Sorsa replaced him in the seventh.

Once he came in, La Sorsa allowed a quick single and walk, ending Wilkerson’s streak of retired batters. La Sorsa got the first two outs of the inning and Alan Busenitz came in to finish the frame. Omaha did put runners on base, but Louisville navigated out of the inning, keeping the shutout alive.

In the eighth, Will Benson picked up a single to increase his hitting streak to eight games on the season. The Bats loaded the bases in the inning but couldn’t scratch any more runs across, and the lead stayed at four. Zach Maxwell came in to finish the game for the Bats. The Storm Chasers loaded the bases against him with two outs before Maxwell induced a game-ending fly out to right, finishing the four-hit shutout.

Callihan finished 3-5 with an RBI and Marte went 2-3 with a walk. Hinds and Johnson both finished with one hit and an RBI.

The Bats (4-4) will wrap up the six-game series with the Storm Chasers (4-3) on Sunday afternoon at Werner Park. First pitch is set for 3:05 p.m. ET., and Nick Curran will be on the call for WKRD Sports Talk 790 AM.

02/04/2025

BATS STUNG BY OMAHA OFFENSE IN 12-6 LOSS
Omaha’s Waters hits for cycle as Bats fall to 3-2

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – APRIL 2, 2025

PAPILLION, Nebraska – Despite a hot start, the Louisville Bats couldn’t contain the Omaha Storm Chasers attack, suffering a 12-6 loss in the second game of their six-game series on Wednesday afternoon at Werner Park.

Omaha center fielder Drew Waters had a historic day at the plate, hitting for the cycle while going 4-for-5 with an inside-the-park home run to help hand the Bats their first road loss of the season.

The game began better than it ended for the visitors. Louisville wasted no time in jumping in front against Omaha starter Noah Cameron (W, 1-0). On just the second pitch of the game, Tyler Callihan ripped a leadoff home run to right, his second home run of the season for an instant Bats lead. Later in the inning with runners on first and third, Francisco Urbaez hit a soft ground ball between the pitcher’s mound and first base, resulting in an infield single to make it 2-0 Bats.

The Storm Chasers looked to respond immediately, loading the bases with nobody out against Bats righty Chase Petty in the bottom of the frame. Petty got out of it with the lead intact, inducing a double play from former Bat Joey Wiemer that plated a run before striking out Harold Castro to hold the 2-1 lead.

Two innings later, the Storm Chasers turned the game around. Cam Deavnney began the third with a game-tying solo homer to right. John Rave walked and Waters put the Storm Chasers in front with a triple into the right field corner. Waters would then score on Nick Loftin’s ground ball.

In the fourth, the Storm Chasers began to pull away. A pair of singles and a fielder’s choice brought an end to Petty’s (L, 0-1) season debut. Reliever Lyon Richardson got the second out of the inning. With two outs and two on, Waters hit a sinking line drive to right that eluded a dive from Bats right fielder Will Benson and rolled all the way to the wall. As Rece Hinds chased down the ball, Waters was able to circle the bases for an inside-the-park home run, increasing the Omaha lead to 7-2. The inside-the-park home run was the first allowed by the Bats since Gilberto Celestino accomplished the feat for St. Paul on September 7, 2023.

Petty was saddled with his first Triple-A loss, giving up six runs on six hits with two walks and four strikeouts over 3.1 innings. Omaha continued to add on in the fifth, as Cam Devanney’s three-run homer made it 11-2. Richardson gave up five runs over 1.1 innings in his second outing of the season.

The Louisville offense struck back in the sixth against reliever Jacob Wallace. Davis Wendzel drove in a pair with a sharp single up the middle. Will Banfield’s RBI ground out made it a six-run game, and Callihan laced a double off the wall in center to score Wendzel and cut the Omaha lead to 11-6.

Reiver Sanmartin was next into the game for the Bats and calmed things down with a scoreless bottom of the sixth. Yosver Zulueta did the same in the seventh. In the bottom of the eighth, Waters completed his cycle with an RBI double off Luis Mey.

Austin Cox and Jonathan Bowlan combined to pitch the final 3.1 innings, keeping the Bats off the board to finish the Storm Chasers win.

For the Bats, Callihan led the way with the home run and double, going 2-for-5 with two RBI in the loss. No other Bats player recorded more than one hit. Waters’ cycle paced the Storm Chasers attack, as three different players recorded a multi-hit game for the home team.

The Bats (3-2) and Storm Chasers (2-2) continue their six-game series on Thursday evening at Werner Park, with first pitch set for 7:35 p.m. ET. Nick Curran will be on the call for Sports Talk 790 AM.

Address

Website

http://www.ilocalnews.com/louisville

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when iLocalNews - Louisville posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to iLocalNews - Louisville:

Shortcuts

Address
Alerts
Contact The Business
Claim ownership or report listing
Want your business to be the top-listed Media Company?

Country:

City:

09/05/2025

07/05/2025

07/05/2025

23/04/2025

15/04/2025

09/04/2025

06/04/2025

05/04/2025

02/04/2025

Address

Website

Alerts

Contact The Business

Shortcuts

Share