[Stardust]

COLUMBUS, OHIO — Paul Janish’s solo home run in the ninth inning, his second of the game, gave the Louisville Bats a 5-4 victory over the Columbus Clippers on Thursday night to open the International League season.

His first homer came in the seventh off reliever Frank Hermann to pad the Bats’ lead to 4-2, but the Clippers tied it in the bottom half against reliever Nick Christiani on Ezequiel Carrera’s two-run double that originally was ruled a three-run homer.

Ron Mahay (1-0) pitched a perfect eighth for the victory, and J. J. Hoover struck out two in a 1-2-3 ninth for the save.

Louisville never trailed. Danny Dorn, who led the team with 18 home runs last year, hit a two-run blast in the second. Chris Valaika went deep in the third to make it 3-0.

Starter Jeff Francis went six innings for the Bats, allowing two earned runs, seven hits and a walk with three strikeouts. He got help in the fourth from shortstop Janish, whose relay cut down the tying run at the plate on Ryan Spilborghs’ single to left.

The teams will meet again tonight at Huntington Park, with Brett Tomko starting for the Bats against fellow righty Kevin Slowey in a matchup of former major leaguers.http://www.courier-journal.com/