Omaha Homers Thrice but Chasers Drop 11th Straight

PAPILLION, NEB. – The Omaha Storm Chasers collected three homers in the first three innings but could not get back into the win column, falling to the Iowa Cubs 7-4, the team’s 11^th straight loss.

While the Cubs struck Omaha starter Joe Barlow for a pair of runs in the top of the first inning, Clay Dungan countered in the bottom of the first inning with a leadoff home run, his second long ball of the season.

Iowa scored single runs in the second and third innings, off Barlow and reliever Brett de Geus, but Omaha tied the game in the bottom of the third inning with two more home runs. After Angelo Castellano doubled, Nick Loftin connected on a two-run homer, then two batters later Tyler Gentry homered to the same spot, a solo homer and his team-leading 13^th long ball of the year to tie the score at 4-4.

The Chasers and Cubs remained tied into the fifth inning, when Iowa struck for three runs on three consecutive hits against de Geus to take a 7-4 lead that held to be final.

Omaha put a pair of runners on in the sixth and brought the tying run to the plate, but Iowa left fielder Darius Hill made a diving catch on a sinking line drive off the bat, robbing Adeiny Hechavarría of what could have been a two-run hit, to instead end the sixth inning.

Tucker Bradley bunted for a hit in the ninth inning, his fourth time on base in as many plate appearances, but the Storm Chasers couldn’t inch any closer, dropping their 11^th straight game.

Behind de Geus, right-hander Jackson Kowar pitched 2.2 scoreless innings, then Walter Pennington worked a scoreless eighth inning that ended in a bizarre double play. Steven Cruz fired a 1-2-3 ninth to complete a stretch of 4.0 scoreless innings from the trio of relievers.

Right-hander Andrew Hoffmann will head to the mound Sunday for his Triple-A debut at 5:05 p.m. CT as the Storm Chasers look to salvage the series and avoid a second straight sweep.