Storm Chasers Drop Season Opener in Iowa

DES MOINES, IOWA – The Omaha Storm Chasers dropped the 2025 season opener to the Iowa Cubs, 6-3 Friday night at Principal Park.

Iowa was first onto the scoreboard, scoring two runs in the bottom of the second inning on a two-run homer off Omaha starting pitcher Tyson Guerrero for a 2-0 lead. After three straight hits opened the second, Guerrero bounced back by retiring six straight, including striking out the side in the third.

While Omaha scored a run in the top of the third inning, as Tyler Tolbert stole third base and scored on an errant throw, Iowa scored four runs between the fourth and sixth innings to jump out to a 6-1 lead. Guerrero allowed the first four batters of the fifth inning to reach, as the Cubs scored two runs.

Anthony Simonelli stranded a pair of inherited runners in the fifth, then allowed a run of his own in the sixth. Jacob Wallace followed Simonelli in the sixth and stranded an inherited runner, but then allowed a solo homer in the seventh that pushed the Cubs lead to five runs, 6-1.

The Storm Chasers were held to two hits through the first six innings, an infield single from Tolbert in the third and a double from Tyler Gentry in the fourth. Singles from Brian O’Keefe and Nick Pratto did not produce any scoring in the seventh, but Omaha did add two runs in the eighth.

John Rave and Drew Waters opened the eighth with walks, then Joey Wiemer singled in Rave and Gentry brought Waters home on a sacrifice fly for the 6-3 score that held to be final.

Evan Sisk threw a 1-2-3 eighth inning for Omaha, but Omaha went quietly in the top of the ninth to drop the first game of the year.

Chandler Champlain starts for Omaha Saturday, with a 3:08 p.m. first pitch against the Cubs at Principal Park.