COLUMBUS – The Clippers and Louisville Bats went down to the wire Sunday at Huntington Park with Columbus coming away with a 9-8 victory and a split of the four-game series.
The Clippers broke things open in the bottom of the third when Bobby Bradley and Yu Chang knocked in three runs to make the score 5-2 and Brandon Barnes charged things up in the bottom of the inning with a controversial three-run shot of Nicolino to extend the Clippers’ lead to 8-3. There was confusion on whether the ball was fair or foul, as it crept over the left field foul pole and landed well-foul, but the umpires agreed on the fair call. Nicolino was ejected after arguing the call.
After Louisville tied the game with five runs in the seventh, Yandy Diaz came through for the Clippers in the eighth with an RBI single, scoring Greg Allen for a 9-8 lead.
Cole Sulder (3-4) got the win for Columbus while Brandon Finnegan (2-9) took the loss for the Bats.
The Clippers have Monday off before traveling to Durham to face off against the Bulls on Tuesday at 6:05 p.m.