I-Cubs Drop Third Straight to Storm Chasers

DES MOINES, IA – The Iowa Cubs (51-77) dropped their seventh straight game and their third of the series to the Omaha Storm Chasers (72-56) by a final score of 10-6 on Saturday night at Principal Park.

The Storm Chasers wasted no time in getting the scoring started. They jumped on Iowa starter Luis Lugo right away, stringing together three straight hits to open the ballgame and take a 1-0 lead.

For the first time in this series, however, the I-Cubs had an answer. Ian Miller singled in the first and scored on an RBI single from Matt Mervis to tie the game at one, and then the I-Cubs used two walks, two hit batters, and a fielder’s choice to collect three more runs without a hit in the second. They took their first lead of the series, 4-1, into the third inning.

The lead didn’t last long, as Omaha tied it back up on a three-run homer from Nick Pratto in the next half-inning. Iowa quickly retook the lead in the third, though, capitalizing on a double from Levi Jordan and an RBI single from Liam Spence to put them up 5-4.

That score lasted for only an inning before the Storm Chasers added on in the fifth. Lugo walked two ahead of Emmanuel Rivera, who hit Omaha’s second three-run homer of the game to put them up 7-5. The I-Cubs turned the game over to the bullpen in the sixth, and Omaha added even more insurance with two quick runs off Marcus Walden to make it a 9-5 game.

Though the I-Cubs added one more run on an RBI single from Andrew Romine in the eighth, it wasn’t enough to come back. The Storm Chasers won their third straight game at Principal by a final score of 10-6.

POSTGAME NOTES:

• Luis Lugo surrendered seven earned runs tonight to tie his season high, set with Double-A Tennessee on May 21.
• Levi Jordan extended his hitting streak to a season-high eight games with a 2-for-3 night at the plate.
• Liam Spence registered his first Triple-A RBI and his first Triple-A multi-hit game, while Casey Opitz collected his first Triple-A hit in his I-Cubs debut.
• Dillon Maples struck out the side in the seventh inning, marking his second straight scoreless outing since returning to Iowa from Chicago on September 21.

Iowa and Omaha will wrap up the 2021 season with the series finale tomorrow afternoon. First pitch between the two clubs is set for 1:08pm. For more information and tickets, visit www.iowacubs.com.