Omaha Outlasts Iowa in Pitchers' Duel

PAPILLION, NE – The Iowa Cubs (37-48) came out on the wrong side of a pitchers’ duel against the Omaha Storm Chasers (48-37) on Thursday night, falling 2-1 in game three at Werner Park.

Iowa starter Mike Hauschild struggled a bit at the outset, loading the bases on two singles and a walk before he'd registered an out. He pitched his way around the jam, however, and allowed only one run to score on a sacrifice fly.

From there, Hauschild was locked in. The righty allowed just five hits in his outing, all of them singles, and two walks. He surrendered one more run in the fourth inning, but completed his third quality start of the season after six innings.

On the other side, Omaha’s pitching was just as effective. Jake Kalish, facing the I-Cubs for the seventh time this season, shut down their bats for 5.2 innings. He allowed five hits and two walks, matching Hauschild, but struck out seven batters and limited the I-Cubs to just one run on an RBI single from Abiatal Avelino.

The bullpens took over a 2-1 game in the sixth. For Iowa, Ryan Kellogg spun two perfect innings, facing the minimum of six batters without allowing a baserunner.

Unfortunately, Omaha’s bullpen was nearly perfect too. Three relievers combined to complete the final three innings for the Storm Chasers without allowing a hit. Iowa managed to get a runner as far as second base in the eighth after a walk and a passed ball, but couldn’t convert. The I-Cubs dropped their first game of the series to Omaha by a final score of 2-1.

POSTGAME NOTES:

• Mike Hauschild made his third quality start of the season. He is 0-2 and the I-Cubs are 0-3 in those games.
• Michael Hermosillo made his first start in the field since returning from the injured list on Tuesday, playing all nine innings in right field.
• Zach Davis reached base in three out of his four plate appearances with a double and two walks. He is now 5-for-13 this series with three walks, two RBI, and four runs scored.
• With an 0-for-3 performance tonight, Nick Martini ended his hitting streak after five games, which tied his season high. Martini has had three five-game hitting streaks this season.

Iowa will face off with Omaha again tomorrow for game four of the six-game series. First pitch between the two teams is scheduled for 7:05. For more information and tickets, visit www.iowacubs.com.