PAPILLION, NEB. – The Omaha Storm Chasers evened this week’s series against the Toledo Mud Hens with a 7-5 come-from-behind win Wednesday at Fifth Third Field.
For a second straight game, the Mud Hens took the early lead 1-0 as they loaded the bases in the bottom of first inning and plated a run on a double-play that recorded the first two outs of the inning.
Omaha answered Toledo’s run in the top of the third inning as Tyler Gentry opened the inning with a single. He moved to second as John Rave walked, then advanced to third on a fielder’s choice, setting up for Nate Eaton to tie the game with a fielder’s choice groundout that scored Gentry for a 1-1 game through three innings.
Storm Chasers starting pitcher Andrew Hoffmann struck out four batters, three of them in the second inning, but his night ended an out into the fourth inning. After throwing scoreless second and third innings, he loaded the bases in the fourth and gave way to Walter Pennington. Pennington finished the frame but allowed two of the three inherited runs to score for a 3-1 lead in favor of Toledo.
Pennington settled the game down with a scoreless fifth inning before recording the first two outs of the sixth inning, striking out four over 2.1 innings before giving way to Will Klein. Klein took the mound in the bottom of the sixth inning with a runner on first base and two outs but allowed the inherited runner to score with a walk, single and error, for a 4-1 Toledo advantage the end of six, an unearned run to Pennington.
After Klein got the final out of the sixth inning, he recorded the first two outs of the seventh before a single end his night, a runner inherited by Evan Sisk. Sisk walked a batter to put two on, but got a strikeout to keep the deficit at three runs through the end of the seventh.
Held to just a run and four hits over the first seven innings, the Chasers got back in the contest and rallied for four runs to grab the lead in the top of the eighth inning. Cam Devanney led the frame off with a single and set up Eaton to double him in with. CJ Alexander doubled in Eaton on the next pitch to bring Omaha within one. Former Mud Hen Josh Lester drew a two-out walk, paving the way for Devin Mann to connect on a two-run double that scored Alexander and Lest for a 5-4 Omaha lead, the team’s first lead of the series.
Carlos Hernández entered the game in the bottom of the eighth inning behind Sisk and got the first two outs of the inning, but loaded the bases, including a pair of free passes with two outs. Tyler Duffey inherited the bases loaded with two outs behind Hernández and allowed a bases-loaded walk that tied the game, but prevented further damage and sent the game to the ninth at 5-5.
Tyler Gentry opened the ninth inning with a double to left field and after moving to third on a Devanney groundout, came home to score on a chopping single from John Rave to put the Chasers back ahead. Eaton followed with his second double of the night and plated home Rave for a 7-5 Chaser lead.
Duffey allowed a leadoff single in the bottom of the ninth, but retired his next three to secure the win and snap Omaha’s four-game losing streak and move the team’s magic number to six with 10 games to play.
The Storm Chasers continue this week’s road series against the Toledo Mud Hens as game three is Thursday, June 13 at Fifth Third Field with first pitch scheduled for 6:05 p.m. CT and right-hander Jonathan Bowlan is slated to start for Omaha.
