Season-High Five Homers Power Omaha to Series win Over Columbus

Chasers top Clippers 7-5 Sunday afternoon at Huntington Park

Nick Loftin was one of five Storm Chasers to homer in Sunday's 7-5 win over the Clippers. (Nicholas Badders)

By Nicholas Badders

July 30, 2023

COLUMBUS, OHIO – The Omaha Storm Chasers slugged a season-high five home runs en route to a series win over the Columbus Clippers and a 7-5 victory Sunday at Huntington Park. Major League rehabber Matt Beaty opened the scoring for Omaha in the top of the first inning with a

COLUMBUS, OHIO – The Omaha Storm Chasers slugged a season-high five home runs en route to a series win over the Columbus Clippers and a 7-5 victory Sunday at Huntington Park.

Major League rehabber Matt Beaty opened the scoring for Omaha in the top of the first inning with a solo home run, his first with the team this season, and the Storm Chasers led the rest of the way.

Left fielder Brewer Hicklen doubled Omaha’s lead in the second inning with a solo homer of his own, his eighth of the season for a 2-0 score at the time.

Columbus struck onto the scoreboard in the bottom of the second inning, as three singles plated a run to cut the score in half.

The Chasers remained ahead by one run until the fifth inning when a trio of home runs plated five runs to add what turned out to be crucial runs of insurance.

Tyler Gentry opened the fifth inning with a solo home run, his second in as many games, then Hicklen drew a four-pitch walk and Adeiny Hechavarria brought him home with a two-run homer to once again double Omaha’s lead to four runs.

Two batters later, Clay Dungan doubled and Nick Loftin brought him home with a two-run homer, his second long ball of the week to cap the five-run frame.

Jonathan Bowlan allowed a solo home run in the bottom of the fifth but kept Columbus to just the two runs over 5.0 innings of work to earn his third win in six outings with the Chasers.

Evan Sisk, Jackson Kowar and Christian Chamberlain each threw a scoreless inning behind Bowlan and combined for five strikeouts, keeping Omaha up 7-2 going into the ninth inning.

Columbus sent seven batters to the plate in the bottom of the ninth against Will Klein, who surrendered three runs (two earned) on two hits and a walk. A pair of strikeouts helped Klein work out of trouble and finish off the 7-5 win for the Storm Chasers, securing both this week’s series, 4-2 and the season series, which currently stands 10-2 in favor of Omaha with six games left in September.

The Storm Chasers continue on the road next week with a six-game series opening Tuesday against the Louisville Bats.