Bats Drop Back and Forth Finale to Cubs
April 27, 2025 - International League (IL)
Louisville Bats News Release
LOUISVILLE, Kentucky - In a game that saw five lead changes, the Bats came up short in Sunday's series finale against the Iowa Cubs, falling 6-4. Louisville cracked three home runs on the afternoon, and despite the loss, took the series against Iowa, three games to two.
The Cubs wasted no time jumping on Bats starter Sam Benschoter. Three hits in the first four at bats of the game put Iowa up 1-0 early before Benschoter forced a 5-3 double play to limit the damage.
Rece Hinds led off the bottom of the second by roping a single into left field. Hinds took second on a balk and third on a wild pitch before Edwin Rios crushed a 436-foot bomb off the roof of the Humana Cabana in right field, putting the Bats ahead, 2-1.
Iowa loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the third, and Alan Busenitz, on in relief of Benschoter, plunked Greg Allen to tie the game before recording the third out. The following inning, Matt Shaw cracked a solo shot to left field to give the one-run advantage back to the Cubs.
Iowa starter Connor Noland settled in after the Rios home run, retiring 11 straight Bats, including four strikeouts, before Levi Jordan's two-out walk in the fifth. Jordan swiped second without a throw, but Davis Wendzel could not bring home the tying run, flying out lazily to centerfield to end the inning with the Cubs still holding onto a 3-2 lead.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, the top of the Bats order came through, with back-to-back jacks by Tyler Stephenson and Will Benson swinging the lead back in Louisville's favor at 4-3.
After Iowa punched back for two runs in the top of the seventh to take a 5-4 lead off Louisville relievers Joe La Sorsa (L, 2-1) and Yosver Zulueta, the Bats threatened again in the bottom of the eighth. With Keegan Thompson (W, 2-0) on for his third inning of work out of the Cubs bullpen, Wendzel led off the frame with a double into the left field corner, and Tyler Callihan, extending his on-base streak to 23 games, floated a single just out of reach of the second baseman to put runners on the corners with no outs. Louisville squandered the opportunity, however, as Tyler Stephenson struck out and Will Benson grounded into an inning-ending double play to keep Iowa in front entering the ninth.
The Cubs tacked on an insurance run in the top of the ninth before handing the ball over to Jack Neely for the final three outs. Neely set the Bats down in order, earning the save and handing Louisville a 6-4 loss.
The Bats recorded four extra-base hits in the ballgame, with Rios and Benson extending their neck-and-neck, Louisville-leading home run totals to five a piece. Wendzel picked up his fifth double of the season, and Stephenson logged his first homer of his rehab assignment.
The Bats (14-12) will now hit the road for a six-game set with the Memphis Redbirds. First pitch of Tuesday's opener is set for 7:45 p.m. ET, and Nick Curran will be on the call for Sports Talk 790.
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