Bats Fall 3-1 In Game One, Game Two of Doubleheader Postponed

The Louisville Bats were only able to finish one of two scheduled games on Friday night before the rain fell at Louisville Slugger Field, losing 3-1 to the St. Paul Saints prior to the second game being postponed.

Since the second game of Friday’s planned doubleheader was postponed, the two teams will play a doubleheader on Saturday, June 27, with game one starting at 3:05 p.m. ET. Gates will open at 2:30 p.m. ET. Both games will be seven-inning contests. The start of the second game will occur about 30 minutes following the conclusion of the first.

Tickets from Friday’s game can be exchanged for a ticket of equal or lesser value for any future 2026 Louisville Bats regular season home game, subject to availability. Tickets must be exchanged in person at the Louisville Slugger Field Box Office. Season ticket holders, groups, and suites can contact their account representatives for more information.

Emilio Pagán needed just six pitches to conclude his rehab appearance as the opener for the Bats, inducing three straight field outs in the first frame to kick off game one. Jose Franco replaced Pagán as a long reliever, but quickly surrendered the first score of the game after a hit-by-pitch and two singles loaded the bases, and a walk brought the first run across.

With no outs, Franco impressively held the Saints to just one more run off a sacrifice fly after earning his first strikeout of the game. Despite a one-out double from Ivan Johnson, the Bats came up empty in the bottom of the second and trailed 2-0.

Franco escaped another bases-loaded jam in the third, this time holding the Saints scoreless. After two singles put runners on, he notched another strikeout before putting another runner on. Luckily, Garrett Hampson helped back up the empty frame, fielding a ground ball at shortstop and converting on the 6-3 double play with a tag at second.

Franco made quick work in the fourth, letting up just one walk in an otherwise clean inning with a strikeout. After Michael Chavis and P.J. Higgins were both hit by a pitch, Will Banfield crossed the run of the game for the Bats with two outs, hitting an RBI single to make it 2-1. Hampson stranded Higgins and Banfield with a strikeout to end the inning.

Franco continued to settle in on the mound, going three-up, three-down with a strikeout in the fifth to hold off the Saints. However, a leadoff double from St. Paul in the sixth spelled trouble, and they converted on an RBI single a batter later to take a 3-1 advantage. Franco dealt with the adversity, converting on three straight strikeouts to keep Louisville close, but the offense was also retired in three straight at-bats to keep the score the same.

After another scoreless frame from the Bats, Anthony Misiewicz took the mound for Franco in the seventh, ending Franco’s outing at five innings, where he gave up three runs on seven hits, two walks, and a hit-by-pitch. However, his seven strikeouts mark the most in a relief outing by a Bat this season, surpassing his previous season-high of six. Misiewicz worked a clean inning of relief, adding to his 22 total scoreless outings of 28 appearances this season.

Will Benson appeared as a pinch-hitter for Louisville to lead off the seventh, but lined out sharply to the third baseman on the first pitch of the at-bat. TJ Friedl reached base after a hit-by-pitch, but Sam Haggerty grounded into a double play on the next pitch to give St. Paul a 3-1 win in game one.

The Bats managed just four hits in the first leg of the doubleheader, while Banfield was credited with batting in the lone run. Both teams began warming up for the second game, with the first pitch scheduled for 6:35 p.m. However, the inclement weather quickly moved in and washed away any chance of a second game.

The Louisville Bats (40-36, 1-2) continue their six-game series against the St. Paul Saints (44-33, 2-1) with a doubleheader scheduled for Saturday. First pitch for game one is set for 3:05 p.m. ET at Louisville Slugger Field. Nick Curran and Jim Kelch will be on the call on Sports Talk 790 AM.