COLUMBUS – The Louisville Bats lived up to their nickname and unloaded on Clippers starter Michael Peoples, banging out a dozen hits and scoring nine runs en route to an 11-2 victory in the opening game of a three-game series at Huntington Park between the two last-place teams in the International League West.
Leadoff hitter Mason Wiliams went 3-for-4 with three runs and three RBI and Phillip Ervin scored two runs while knocking in two in a 3-for-5 performance.
The wheels came off for Peoples (0-2) and the Clippers in the fourth inning. Already trailing 3-0, Columbus surrendered six runs, starting with Williams’s two-run single and an RBI single from Phillips. Hernan Iribarren knocked two more runs with a single to left field which marked the end of the night’s work for Peoples.
Robert Stephenson (6-6) struck out 11 batters and gave up only one run in six innings on the mound to get the win.
The two teams meet up again for the second game in the series Tuesday night.