Storm Chasers first baseman Ryan O'Hearn slammed two home runs and drove in five RBI, which included a walk-off three-run roundtripper in the ninth inning to give Omaha a 9-6 comeback victory over the Colorado Springs Sky Sox on Saturday evening at Werner Park.
Storm Chasers first baseman Ryan O'Hearn slammed two home runs and drove in five RBI, which included a walk-off three-run roundtripper in the ninth inning to give Omaha a 9-6 comeback victory over the Colorado Springs Sky Sox on Saturday evening at Werner Park.
Thanks to O'Hearn's walk-off homer, Storm Chasers fans will be able to take advantage of $1 chicken and waffles at the Walk-Off Waffles stand at Werner Park on Sunday evening from the time gates open at 6:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. The special is limited to one per person.<o:p>
Entering the ninth trailing the Sky Sox 6-4, Omaha LF Billy Burns began the rally with an infield RBI single up the middle to cut the deficit to one and then later came home on CF Bubba Starling 's single to left to draw the contest even and send up O'Hearn. With a 1-1 count, the left-handed slugger crushed his second opposite field homer of the night into the McDonald's Berm to cue the celebration and snap Omaha's six-game losing skid.<o:p>
O'Hearn also started the game's scoring with his first longball of the evening, a two-run blast to left to push the Storm Chasers ahead 2-0. Both teams then matched each other with single tallies in the third prior to Omaha C Brayan Peña 's sacrifice fly in the fourth extending the Storm Chasers margin to 4-1. The Sky Sox were able to grab the lead, however, by plating four scores between the fifth and seven frames, as well as a single tally in the ninth to make it 6-4 heading into the last of the ninth.<o:p>
Omaha 1B Frank Schwindel (3-4, 2B, RBI) recorded a game-high three hits and was joined by O'Hearn (2-4, 3 R, 2 HR, 5 RBI, BB) in recording multi-hit efforts. O'Hearn has now left the yard in three consecutive contests, and tallied his first two-homer game since August 17, 2016 with Double-A Northwest Arkansas. Colorado Springs RF Lewis Brinson (2-5, 2B, 3 RBI), along with 3B Ivan De Jesus (2-5) and 2B Nate Orf (2-4, 3 R, 3B), each posted two knocks as well.<o:p>
Storm Chasers reliever Eric Stout (3.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER) earned the win to improve to 4-0 in support of starter Onelki Garcia (6.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, BB, 5 K). Sky Sox relief man Tom Wilhelmsen (0.1 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 5 ER, K) suffered the defeat to fall to 0-1.<o:p>
Omaha and Colorado Springs continue their four-game set on Sunday evening, with a 7:05 p.m. scheduled start time. The Storm Chasers are anticipated to send RHP Christian Binford (3-6, 7.88) to the hill, with the Sky Sox slated to give the nod to RHP Angel Ventura (2-1, 4.91). Following that night's game is the first of back-to-back Independence Fireworks extravaganzas presented by First National Bank.<o:p>
Tickets are still available for that game and all remaining Storm Chasers contests, and may be purchased at www.omahastormchasers.com/tickets, as well as by calling the Werner Park Ticket Office at (402) 738-5100. To view Ticket Office hours, please click here.<o:p>
