Louisville, KY – The Nashville Sounds dropped their second straight game against the Louisville Bats with a 10-8 final Saturday night. Cooper Pratt hit his second Triple-A homer of the season with a two-run shot in the first, and Brock Wilken extended his on-base streak to 27 consecutive games.
The Sounds wasted no time getting on the board with a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Jett Williams led off the game, drawing a walk to get on base, which set up Pratt to crush his second career Triple-A homer with a two-run shot to left field.
After Luis Lara drew the second walk of the frame, Jeferson Quero hit a two-out RBI-double, his seventh double of the season, hitting off the right field wall and scored Lara to extend the lead to three runs. The Bats answered back with a two-run shot from Hector Rodriguez, cutting the Sounds lead down to 3-2.
In the bottom of the second inning, Louisville tied the game with three singles in the inning, including Garrett Hampson’s first hit of this week’s series which dropped into left field for a 3-3 game. Nashville regained the lead 6-3 in the top of the fourth inning as Eddys Leonard hit his ninth double, tying Wilken for the team-lead, into left field and set up Ramón RodrÃguez to follow with an RBI-single and score Leonard for the one-run lead.
After Williams drew his second straight walk of the game, Pratt knocked in his third RBI of the game with a base hit to right and drove home RodrÃguez. Williams and Pratt had a double steal and scored Williams for the third run of the inning, and the three-run Sounds lead.
The Bats stormed back and took the 7-6 lead in the bottom half of the fourth and scored four runs off of three singles, a double and two walks, all allowed by right-hander Carlos Rodriguez. Rodriguez wrapped up his shaky start, allowing seven runs on eight hits in 3.1 innings and added three strikeouts as Easton McGee took over the reins with one out in the fourth. The Bats grew the lead to 8-6 with a single and a double off of McGee, including Edwin Arroyo’s second double of the game, giving them the two-run lead at the end of five.
The Sounds fired back and tied the game for the third time Saturday night as Leonard led off the top of the sixth inning, getting hit by pitch. RodrÃguez followed with his second hit of the night, singling into center and putting Leonard in scoring position. Two at-bats later, Pratt drew the team’s fifth walk of the game, loading the bases for Lara, who hit a two-run single into right field, tying the game 8-8.
Louisville retaliated again in the bottom of the sixth with a Rece Hinds solo homer off of Junior Fernandez and gave the Bats a 9-8 lead. The Bats extended the lead to 10-8 with Arroyo earning his fourth hit of the game and adding his third RBI in the bottom of the seventh inning. Nashville had one last chance in the top of the ninth inning but were shut down, despite a Quero single, with a 10-8 final.
The Sounds will look to split the series in tomorrow’s finale against the Bats with first pitch scheduled for 12:05pm CT and right-hander Garrett Stallings slated to get the start.
