DES MOINES, IOWA — The Omaha Storm Chasers used a six-run sixth inning to pull ahead of the Iowa Cubs Friday night for a 7-4 victory and the team’s third straight win at Principal Park.
The first half of the game was as good of a pitcher’s duel as Omaha has been involved in this season. Storm Chasers starter Luis Cessa held Iowa to a first inning run on four hits with five strikeouts over a season-long 5.0 innings. For the third straight start, Cessa did not walk a batter, facing one over the minimum after his second batter of the game.
Omaha could only muster a run in the second inning off Iowa starter Thomas Pannone, as Tyler Gentry singled, moved to third on an errant pickoff throw and scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Cam Devanney.
Facing Pannone a third time through, the Storm Chasers lineup came alive in the sixth inning, knocking the left-hander out with a Logan Porter double and Nick Pratto single. Iowa needed three pitchers to get through the sixth inning, as Devin Mann singled in Porter for the lead, Cam Devanney singled in Pratto and Mann, then Drew Waters connected on a three-run homer off former Chaser Jose Cuas to cap the six-run inning for a 7-1 Omaha lead.
Behind Cessa, it took six pitchers to piece the final 4.0 innings together in the win over Iowa. Carlos Hernández got the first two outs of the bottom of the sixth inning and was charged with a run, a runner inherited by Dan Altavilla, who finished the sixth with a strikeout.
John McMillon walked a pair in the bottom of the seventh and allowed another Cubs run to score on a balk with a runner on third, at the time moving the score to 7-3 in favor of Omaha.
Jonah Dipoto worked around a walk and error for a scoreless eighth inning, then Jake Brentz was tasked with recording the last three outs in the bottom of the ninth but walked three batters to load the bases and bring the winning run to the plate, prompting Will Klein to enter.
Klein allowed one of the three runners he inherited from Brentz to score, but the right-hander worked out of trouble otherwise to earn his fourth save of the season at a score of 7-4.
Omaha will try and secure a series win Saturday at 3:08 p.m. CT Principal Park, as right-hander Jonathan Bowlan takes the mound for the Storm Chasers.
