Bats whack the Clippers, 5-3

LOUISVILLE - The Columbus Clippers (7-4) lost to the Bats (4-7) by a score of 5-3 on Sunday at Louisville Slugger Field.  After falling to the Bats in the third game of the series, the Clippers will now go two-straight series' without taking a majority of the wins.

Louisville scored five runs off Clippers’ ace Zach McAllister (0-1) and were able to hold on late for a win.

For McAllister, it was his first bad start of the year. In his first two outings of the season, both no decisions, he gave up three runs and went scoreless for six frames, respectively.  On Sunday he went six innings while striking out five batters.

Bats’ starter Brett Tomko lasted 4.1 innings, giving up one earned run and striking out one batter in the process. Columbus had twelve hits in the game.

First baseman Daniel Dorn opened up the scoring with a solo home run in the bottom of the second inning to give Louisville an early lead.

An inning and a half later, Columbus tied it up, as a grounder to second base by Clippers’ shortstop Justin Toole scored right fielder Trevor Crowe.

Louisville retained its lead with four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning.

An RBI single to left field by Bats’ third baseman Todd Frazier scored second baseman Kristopher Negron. The next batter, designated hitter Neftali Soto, plated Frazier on a double to center field. Three batters later, left fielder Felix Perez doubled to left field, scoring two Louisville runners.

Columbus had two more runs in them, though, as a homer to left field by designated hitter Beau Mills scored two, bringing the Clippers within two runs of tying the game in the top of the seventh inning. But that was as close as they would get.

The Clippers will face the Bats in the final game of their four-game series on Monday at 2:05 p.m. in Louisville.

Andrew Holleran is a third-year journalism student at The Ohio State University. You can follow him on Twitter @andrewjholleran or reach him via e-mail at holleran.9@buckeyemail.osu.edu.