Clippers Battled Back, But Omaha Walks It Off on Friday
PAPILLION – Wind gusts of up to 40 miles per hour at Werner Park on Friday night gave defenders the fits in game-four of the Columbus Clippers and Omaha Storm Chasers series. Kody Huff used that wind to his advantage. The former Stanford Cardinal smashed the first pitch he saw
PAPILLION – Wind gusts of up to 40 miles per hour at Werner Park on Friday night gave defenders the fits in game-four of the Columbus Clippers and Omaha Storm Chasers series.
Kody Huff used that wind to his advantage. The former Stanford Cardinal smashed the first pitch he saw and hit an absolute laser of home run that left the yard in a hurry. His third round tripper of the year gave the ClipShow a 1-0 lead in the top of the second.
Huff & puff and he’ll blow this ball out of the park! pic.twitter.com/weFtsPz8UA
— Columbus Clippers (@CLBClippers) May 17, 2025
Storm Chasers answered right back in the bottom half of the frame. Back to back doubles by Tyler Gentry and Luca Tresh knotted the game at one.
That would be the only run Omaha would score on Clippers starter Parker Messick. The former second round pick of the Cleveland Guardians went five innings strong on the hill. He struck out five while surrendering only four hits and walking three.
The scoreboard stayed quiet until the bottom of the sixth. That's when Tresh struck again, his second RBI double of the game drove home a pair, and put the home team in front, 3-1.
Playing in his third game on MLB rehab assignment, Lane Thomas (wrist) collected his first hit at the plate in the top of the seventh. He moved to third after a pair of groundouts, and would score on a balk by Noah Murdock. Thomas started the game in right field and finished 1-3 at the dish before being lifted for a pinch hitter in the eighth.
A throwing error and a sacrifice fly extended the Storm Chasers lead to 5-2 in the bottom of the seventh.
Clippers cut into that lead behind the bat of Petey Halpin. With two down, following a Yordys Valdes walk, Halpin crushed an 0-2 sweeper 417 feet away over the right center field wall, making it a 5-4 ballgame. He came into the game hitting .386 in the 11 games since being moved to the leadoff spot in the order, he went 3-5 on Friday.
#3 of the season for Halpin pic.twitter.com/BzWk06Qd29
— Columbus Clippers (@CLBClippers) May 17, 2025
Dom Nuñez led off the ninth with a walk. Kody Huff and Milan Tolentino both followed with singles, loading the bases with nobody down. Kyle Datres stepped to the dish next and skied a high fly ball to the warning track in right, plenty deep enough to score Christian Cario, who pinch ran for Huff, and tying the game at five all. With two away, Halpin came through once again. The San Mateo, CA native singled through the right side, scoring two, and giving the Clippers their first lead since the second inning. His four RBIs in his last two at bats put the ClipShow in front, 7-5.
Clippers called on Andrew Misiaszek to close out the ninth. Back-to-back walks to leadoff the frame, led to the biggest thorn in the side of Columbus this series, Cam Devanney stepping to the plate. He stayed in the yard this time, but his RBI single cut the Clippers lead in half. That wouldn't matter as the next batter MJ Melendez sent the Storm Chasers fans home happy. His three-run homer completely left Werner Park, clinching a 9-7 walk-off victory for Omaha.
Guy Lipscomb, who pinch hit for Thomas, singled in the eighth inning for his first hit at the Triple-A level. Luis Frías worked 1.1 scoreless innings in relief with a K.
Columbus drops to 17-23, Omaha improves to 19-22. The series continues on Saturday night at Werner Park, first pitch scheduled for 8:05 EDT. The Clippers return home after the two-week road trip on Tuesday, May 20th for a world famous Tansky Tuesday Dime-A-Dog Night. Tickets are available by visiting ClippersBaseball.com.