PAPILLION, NEB. – The Omaha Storm Chasers evened this week’s series against the Louisville Bats with a 5-4 win Wednesday at Werner Park.
In the second game of this week’s series, Louisville got on the board fast as the team knocked in three runs on 10 hits for a 3-0 lead in the first four innings of the game off Omaha starting pitcher Daniel Lynch IV.
Louisville added another run in the top of the fifth inning as P.J. Higgins hit a solo homer to left field and increased the lead to 4-0, the Bats’ 11th hit of the game.
After the first 14 Omaha hitters of the game were retired in order, the Chasers got on the board in the bottom of the fifth frame 1 as Nick Pratto singled with two outs, then moved to third on a bloop double from Nelson Velázquez. Cam Devanney followed with an RBI infield single to move the score to 4-1 in favor of Louisville.
Lynch IV ended his night pitching five innings as he struck out three batters and allowed four runs before Eric Cerantola replaced him in the top of the sixth frame. Cerantola allowed a double on the first batter faced then retired his next six hitters, including a 1-2-3 seventh inning.
Omaha added another run in the sixth as John Rave led off the frame with his team-leading 25th double of the season. After Ryan Fitzgerald singled to move Rave to third, Nick Loftin drove in Rave with a sacrifice fly for a 4-2 game in favor of Louisville.
After 2.0 scoreless innings of relief and three punchouts, Cerantola was relieved for Jonathan Bowlan in the top of the eighth inning who tossed a 1-2-3 inning, for nine straight Bats hitters retired consecutively between the two relievers.
A pair of walks opened the bottom of the eighth inning for Omaha, with Austin Nola and Rave on base with no outs for Fitzgerald, who gave Omaha its first lead of the night with a three-run homer to the opposite field, his 11th long ball of the season for a 5-4 Storm Chasers lead.
Evan Sisk relieved Bowlan for a save opportunity in the top of the ninth and worked around a two-out walk to finish the game with a scoreless frame and earn his eighth save of the year. Bowlan earned the win as well, his team-leading ninth of the year.
The Storm Chasers continue this week’s series against the Bats at Werner Park on Thursday, August 15 as first pitch is slated for 6:35 p.m. CT and right-handed pitcher Alec Marsh will get the start for Omaha.
