PAPILLION, NEB. — In a back-and-forth affair, the Omaha Storm Chasers stole game three of this week’s series on a walk-off against the Indianapolis Indians, winning 5-4 Thursday at Werner Park.
Indianapolis opened up with a lead from the start, as Ji Hwan Bae led off the game with a home run to left field to put the Indians up 1-0 just five pitches into the game.
Omaha tied things in the bottom of the second inning, as Tyler Gentry drove in his first of two runs on the night with an infield single to third base, beating out the throw to first to plate Logan Porter and tie the game up 1-1.
The Indians punched in the bottom of the third with another home run, this time off the bat of Jake Lamb for a 2-1 lead. That was the final run Storm Chasers starter Luis Cessa allowed, as he worked through a season-high four innings and struck out one, before handing the ball off to Walter Pennington for the fifth.
Pennington led the staff with four strikeouts as he worked two scoreless innings, to keep Omaha in the game through the middle innings.
Gentry re-tired the game in the bottom of the sixth, with a two-out single to right field that plated CJ Alexander and move the score to 2-2.
Dan Atlavilla took over in the seventh inning and pitched into the eighth, retiring all five batters he faced in 1.2 perfect innings, with two strikeouts.
Sam Long came on for the final out of the eighth, before returning to the mound for the ninth. One out away from sending the game to the bottom of the ninth, Indianapolis re-took the lead on an RBI triple from Matt Gorski past the dive of Nate Eaton, then Gorski scored a run of insurance, crossing on an Omaha error.
Altavilla punched out two batters in 1.2 scoreless innings on the night. Left-handed pitcher Sam Long relieved Atlavilla in the top of the seventh inning.
Down by two going into the bottom of the ninth, Nick Loftin opened the inning with a single, then Logan Porter drew a one-out walk to bring the winning run to the plate. Alexander singled in a Loftin to move pinch-runner Drew Waters to third, then Devin Mann laid down a sacrifice bunt that scored Waters from third to tie the game at 4-4.
With two outs, Gentry collected his third hit of the game with a single to the left side, but a fielding error from Indianapolis shortstop Liover Peguero allowed Alexander to round third and score, winning the game for Omaha 5-4.
The Storm Chasers continue this six-game series against the Indians Friday, April 26 with a 6:35 p.m. CT first pitch as right-handed pitcher Jonathan Bowlan takes the mound for Omaha.
