DES MOINES, IOWA – The Omaha Storm Chasers ended what was a series win against the Iowa Cubs with a 3-2 win Sunday at Principal Park, the team’s fifth straight victory.
The Chasers took an early 2-0 lead as Nick Pratto crushed his fifth home run to left center field in the top of the first inning. In the second inning, Tyler Tolbert grounded into a double play with the bases loaded to bring home Devin Mann for the 2-0 lead.
Cam Devanney led the fifth inning off with his a double, then after moving to third on a sacrifice bunt from Tolbert, John Rave hit a sacrifice fly to drive Devanney home and extended the Omaha lead 3-0.
Starting pitcher and MLB Rehabber Alec Marsh cruised through 4.0 one-hit innings, dealing six strikeouts with a trio of 1-2-3 innings. Behind him, fellow rehabber Carlos Hernández pitched a 1-2-3 fifth inning with two strikeouts to earn the win.
While Iowa was held to one hit over the first 5.0 innings, Omaha was held hitless over the final 4.0 innings but led the entire game, from the first inning runs on. While hitless from the sixth inning on, the Chasers did draw six walks in that span
Behind Hernández, left-hander Anthony Veneziano allowed just with hit with two strikeouts over 2.0 scoreless Innings. Iowa did not get on the board until the eighth inning, when Walter Pennington entered for Omaha and a pair of hits plus an error plated a run that brought Iowa within a run, 3-1.
Will Klein came into the ninth inning to lock down the final three outs, but David Peralta hammered a home run to right field to cut the Omaha lead down to 3-2. An error brought the winning run to the plate for the but a groundout and close play at first went in favor of the Storm Chasers to close a 3-2 win.
Following an off day Monday, the Storm Chasers welcome the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp to Werner Park for a six-game set beginning at 6:35 p.m. CT on Tuesday as right-handed pitcher Zach Davies is slated to start for Omaha.
