Bats Blanked By Storm Chasers 8-0
The Louisville Bats offense was silenced, and the pitching staff couldn’t contain a potent Omaha Storm Chasers attack in an 8-0 loss on Thursday night at Werner Park. For the second time in three nights, Omaha used the long ball to get ahead early. With one out in the bottom
The Louisville Bats offense was silenced, and the pitching staff couldn’t contain a potent Omaha Storm Chasers attack in an 8-0 loss on Thursday night at Werner Park.
For the second time in three nights, Omaha used the long ball to get ahead early. With one out in the bottom of the first, Drew Waters connected on his 11th home run of the season, a solo shot to right against Bats starter Randy Wynne to put the Storm Chasers up 1-0 in the first.
That would be the only damage against Wynne (L, 1-3). He cruised through the second, picked off a runner to erase a leadoff hit in the third, and navigated around a pair of singles in a scoreless fourth. Over four innings, he allowed one run on four hits with two strikeouts, suffering his third loss of the season.
Omaha righty Alec Marsh was just a little better, keeping the Bats off the board for four clean innings, allowing one hit and one walk with five strikeouts. Anthony Veneziano was first out of the Omaha bullpen and held the lead with a scoreless fifth.
The Bats’ first reliever, Connor Overton, was not as effective. An RBI fielder’s choice from John Rave doubled the Storm Chasers lead to 2-0 in the fifth. Louisville then put two on with one out in the sixth in a bid to get even. But Blake Dunn grounded into an inning-ending double play, ending the threat.
A two-run homer from Devin Mann again doubled the Omaha lead to 4-0 in the sixth. Rave homered in the seventh and a flurry of Storm Chasers hits put the game out of reach for good at 8-0 after seven.
In relief for the Bats, Overton allowed seven runs, five earned, over 2.2 innings. Evan Kravetz got the final out of the seventh with a strikeout. Reiver Sanmartin ended the night on the mound with a scoreless eighth.
Veneziano (W, 4-5) would earn the win for the home team, throwing four scoreless innings with a pair of strikeouts while giving up five hits. Steven Cruz wrapped up the shutout with a scoreless ninth.
Edwin Rios was the only Louisville hitter to record more than one hit, going 2-for-3 with a double while making an incredible catch in the bottom of the sixth, leaping over the railing and falling into the stands in foul territory on the first base side to secure an out.
The Bats (56-59, 18-23 second half) and Storm Chasers (72-43, 22-20 second half) continue the series on Friday night at Werner Park. First pitch is set for 7:35 p.m. Nick Curran will be on the call for 1450/96.1 WXVW.