Omaha Drops Third Straight to Louisville, Losing 5-4 in Extras
PAPILLION, NEB. – Late-inning miscues cost the Omaha Storm Chasers the fifth game of this week’s series in a third straight loss against the Louisville Bats, 5-4 in 10 innings Saturday at Werner Park. Omaha starting pitcher Chandler Champlain struggled at first, as three doubles plated two runs in the
PAPILLION, NEB. – Late-inning miscues cost the Omaha Storm Chasers the fifth game of this week’s series in a third straight loss against the Louisville Bats, 5-4 in 10 innings Saturday at Werner Park.
Omaha starting pitcher Chandler Champlain struggled at first, as three doubles plated two runs in the first inning, then a pair of singles scored another run for Louisville in the second, for an early 3-0 Bats lead after two innings of play.
After an RBI groundout scored Louisville’s third run of the game to record the first out of the second inning, Champlain did not allow another hit the rest of the night, retiring 15 of his last 17 hitters, as the right-hander walked one and hit one, while striking out six. The outing was his third quality start with Omaha, his sixth overall this year including a trio in Double-A.
The Chasers were held scoreless through the first three innings, but Omaha got the bats going in the bottom of the fourth inning as Devin Mann reached base on a fielding error to set up Nick Pratto for a two-run shot and cut Louisville’s lead to 3-2.
Behind Champlain, Walter Pennington took the mound in the top of the seventh inning and worked around a pair of baserunners to toss two scoreless innings, including a 1-2-3 eighth inning.
The Chasers took their first lead of the game in the bottom of the seventh as Ryan Fitzgerald got his first of two hits in the game, then scored as John Rave crushed a go-ahead two-run homer, his team-leading 12th long ball of the season for a 4-3 Omaha lead.
With Pennington in line for the win, Will Klein entered in the top of the ninth inning to close out the game but a walk, single and wild pitch plated the game-tying run to knot the score at 4-4. Despite a two-out hit from Fitzgerald in the bottom of the ninth, Omaha was unable to score and the game moved into extras.
Right-handed reliever Tyler Duffey took the mound in the 10th and a fielding error by Mann at second base to open the frame scored the placed runner, Hernan Perez from second base. That run was difference for Louisville in a 5-4 game, as the Storm Chasers were quietly retired in the bottom of the 10th inning, the team’s third straight loss to the Bats.
The Storm Chasers conclude this week’s series against the Bats Sunday, June 23 as first pitch will be 5:05 p.m. CT and left-handed pitcher Daniel Lynch IV is slated to start for Omaha.