Omaha Walked off by Iowa 6-5

DES MOINES, IOWA - The Omaha Storm Chasers suffered their fourth walk-off loss of the season as the Iowa Comes came out on top Friday 6-5 on a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning at Principal Park.

In the fifth of six games between the two teams this week, Omaha starting pitcher Chandler Champlain opened the bottom of the first inning with a 1-2-3 strikeout, retiring his first four batter. However, Iowa scored first for the fifth time this week, plating three runs with two outs in the bottom of the second with a single, walk and pair of two-out RBI hits for a 3-0 Cubs lead at the end of the second.

The Chasers answered the I-Cubs with a run in the top of the third inning as Austin Nola drew a walk, advanced to third on Drew Waters’ second double of the game, then Nick Pratto singled the pair in to cut the score down to 3-2 in favor of Iowa.

Iowa answered back in the bottom of the third inning as a walk and a stolen base put a runner in scoring position and set up for a two-out single that increased the lead to 4-2 in favor of the Cubs.

Omaha opened the top of the fourth inning with back-to-back singles from Devin Mann and Nelson Velazquez, then a wild pitch advanced both runners in scoring position. Ryan Fitzgerald proceeded to double the pair in to tie the score at 4-4.

The Chasers added another run in the top of the fifth inning and took their first lead of the night, as Waters and Pratto singled and Mann drew a to load the bases for Velazquez, who also walked to bring home a run and put Omaha ahead 5-4.

With Omaha up by a run, Austin Cox entered the game in the bottom of the fifth inning and retired the first four batters faced including a 1-2-3 fifth inning. Steven Cruz inherited a runner from Cox in the bottom of the sixth inning with two outs and stranded the runner with a strikeout to send the game to the seventh, with Omaha still up by a run.

Cruz remained in the game for the bottom of the seventh and allowed a leadoff walk, but proceeded to get two quick outs, but Iowa tied the game on an RBI single, to bring the score even at 5-5. Evan Sisk relieved Cruz with two outs in the frame and retired the last out to stop the bleeding and strand the inherited runner on base.

Sisk got the first two outs of the eighth inning, before handing the ball to Tyler Duffey, who got a strikeout to send the game to the ninth still tied 5-5.

Omaha was held to three hits over the final four innings of the game, while the final 10 outs of the game recorded by Iowa pitchers came on strikeouts, with batters that reached on singles stranded on second base in the seventh and ninth innings.

Duffey returned to the mound for the bottom of the ninth, but the Cubs won the game on the first pitch he threw, as Chaser Strumpf connected on a walk-off home run for a 6-5 Omaha loss, Omaha’s fourth walk-off loss of the season and second to Iowa.

The Storm Chasers conclude the three-game set against the Cubs Saturday, July 6 as first pitch is at 6:08 p.m. CT and left-handed pitcher Anthony Veneziano takes the mound for Omaha.