Zephyrs strike early to back Penny's first win

The New Orleans Zephyrs gave Brad Penny a three-run lead in the first inning, and he held the Omaha Storm Chasers in check through six innings of a 5-3 win Friday at Werner Park in Papillion, Neb.

The victory kept the Zephyrs one game behind the Nashville Sounds in second place in the American South, as the Sounds split a doubleheader with the Oklahoma City RedHawks to maintain their lead in the division.

Omaha starter Joe Saunders (0-2) walked Jake Marisnick and Jordany Valdespin to begin the game, and they moved to second and third with a double steal before Josh Rodriguez drove in Marisnick with a sacrifice fly to go ahead 1-0.

Mark Canha scored Valdespin on a single to center field, and Matt Juengel singled home Canha with a hit in his first Triple-A at-bat to give New Orleans a 3-0 lead.

Penny (1-0) set down the first five batters he faced and allowed just one runner to reach second in the first five innings, as the Zephyrs added a run in the fourth when Danny Black followed Rob Brantly's two-out double with a run-scoring single.

They produced another tally in the fifth on a double by Zack Cox that drove in Canha, who had reached second on a double of his own that was part of a 3-for-4 night with a run batted in and two runs scored.

The Storm Chasers got to Penny in the sixth with a single by Johnny Giavotella and a double by Matt Fields to put runners at second and third. Giavotella scored on a wild pitch, and Fields crossed home plate when Paulo Orlando grounded out to shortstop.

Justin Maxwell hit a double in the next at-bat, but Penny got Francisco Pena to ground out to shortstop to end the inning and his night with a 5-2 lead after he allowed seven hits, a walk and struck out five.

Grant Dayton gave up a solo home run to Giavotella with one out in the eighth, but Arquimedes Caminero came in after the homer to record the final five outs while giving up a lone single by Orlando while striking out the side in the ninth to earn his fifth save of the season.

Marisnick also had a multi-hit game, going 2-for-4 with a run scored to extend his hitting streak to nine games, although Canha was the only Z's batter to get a hit in the final four innings against the Omaha bullpen. Casey Coleman allowed the knock but otherwise pitched a perfect 3 1/3 innings, and Buddy Baumann threw a one-two-three ninth.

The Zephyrs and Storm Chasers are scheduled to play the third game of their four-game series at 7:05 p.m. Saturday at Werner Park. New Orleans plans for Brian Flynn (7-6, 3.67 ERA) to take the mound to start against Aaron Brooks (7-2, 3.75 ERA) of Omaha.