Iowa Takes Game Two with Comeback Win

PAPILLION, NE – The Iowa Cubs (66-77) used a four-run seventh inning to take game one of the scheduled doubleheader over the Omaha Storm Chasers (69-74) by a score of 6-3, Wednesday at Werner Park. Game two was canceled due to inclement weather, so Iowa will enter game three tomorrow up 2-0 in the series.

Both teams were held scoreless until the third inning, when Iowa got out to a 2-0 lead thanks to a two-run home run from Matt Mervis. Not only did the home run give Iowa the lead in the game, but it also gave Mervis the RBI lead among all Minor League players this year, with 115.

The I-Cubs’ lead didn’t hold for long, as Omaha answered right back with a three-run home run of their own from Brent Rooker. That was all the scoring either side would have until the seventh inning, as Wyatt Short locked down.

Short spun six innings of three-run ball, allowing just five hits and one walk compared to five strikeouts, lowering his ERA on the year with Iowa to 3.52. The I-Cubs took him off the hook in the top of the seventh inning when Levi Jordan used an RBI single to score the tying run.

Iowa later loaded the bases and Darius Hill brought in a fourth run for Iowa on a sacrifice fly to give them a 4-3 lead. They scored two more runs on an error by Omaha to go up 6-3 and Ben Leeper earned his 11th save of the year with a scoreless seventh inning.

POSTGAME NOTES:

• Wyatt Short spun six innings of three-run ball, throwing 71% (60-of-85) of his pitches for strikes. He allowed five hits and one walk while striking out five batters, with all three runs scoring on a home run. The southpaw earned his team-leading sixth win of the year.

• Matt Mervis clubbed his 35th home run of the year in the third inning, putting him third among all Minor League players this year. The two-run shot put his RBI total at 115, good for the lead among all Minor League players.

• Ben Leeper earned his 11th save of the year in game one of the doubleheader, giving him the most saves of any I-Cubs player since 2016, when Spencer Patton went 11-for-12. He is the only player on Iowa’s active roster to have more than one save this year.

Iowa and Omaha are scheduled to play game three of their five-game series tomorrow night, with first pitch scheduled for 6:35 from Werner Park. For more information and tickets, visit www.iowacubs.com.