PAPILLION, NEB. — A five-run second inning helped the Omaha Storm Chasers to a 6-5 win over the Columbus Clippers Friday at Werner Park.
The Chasers struck for the first runs of the game as Nick Pratto walked and Devin Mann singled to put two on for Brian O’Keefe, who homered to right center field to take an early 3-0 Chaser lead. Tyler Gentry and Cam Devanney followed with back-to-back doubles, then Devanney moved to third base on a wild pitch and scored on an Austin Nola ground for a commanding 5-0 lead.
Anthony Veneziano started the bullpen game for Omaha and retired the first five batters he faced and eight of his first nine before running into trouble in the third. A single and two walks loaded the bases in the top of the third, but Jonah Dipoto replaced Veneziano and stranded the bases loaded to keep the Clippers off the board.
An error, single and two-run triple for Columbus in the top of fourth inning led to a pair of unearned runs for Dipoto, bringing the score to 5-2 in favor of the Chasers, but Dipoto struck out two over 1.1 innings of work.
Walter Pennington worked a scoreless fifth behind Dipoto and got the first two outs of the sixth before four straight walks ended his day and brought home another run for the Clippers to move the score to 5-3, still in Omaha’s favor.
Dan Altavilla stranded the bases loaded in the sixth behind Pennington and pitched a scoreless seventh before handing the ball off to Steven Cruz for the top of the eighth inning. Cruz got the first two outs of the eighth before surrendering a game-tying two-run homer to José Tena as Columbus tied the score at 5-5.
After a five-run second inning, the Chasers were held quiet in five straight innings as they mustered only one hit in that duration and had a stretch of 12 in a row retired from the second through the fifth. In the bottom of the eighth, Omaha retook the lead 6-5 as Mann singled to left field and brought Loftin home from second base for a 6-5 advantage.
Will Klein came in for the ninth and retired the side in order to secure his his seventh save of the season and drive home the Storm Chasers’ third straight win.
The Storm Chasers continue this week’s series against Columbus Saturday, May 25 at Werner Park with a 6:05 p.m. CT first pitch as left-handed pitcher Daniel Lynch IV is slated to pitch for Omaha.
