Pineda, Lugo Mash in Storm Chasers Victory
COLUMBUS, OHIO – The Omaha Storm Chasers (23-18/56-59) took down the Columbus Clippers (20-21/61-54) on Thursday night 8-2 behind strong nights at the plate from Matthew Lugo and Jack Pineda. Both Pineda and Lugo had 3 hits, with Pineda doing so in his second straight game, while Lucas Braun (2-0)
COLUMBUS, OHIO – The Omaha Storm Chasers (23-18/56-59) took down the Columbus Clippers (20-21/61-54) on Thursday night 8-2 behind strong nights at the plate from Matthew Lugo and Jack Pineda. Both Pineda and Lugo had 3 hits, with Pineda doing so in his second straight game, while Lucas Braun (2-0) fired a quality start in Omaha’s 6-run victory.
Braun opened the game with a scoreless bottom of the 1st inning and Brett Squires gave the Storm Chasers a 1-0 lead in the top of the 2nd inning with a solo home run, his team-leading 20th of the year.
The Clippers responded with an inside-the-park home run in the bottom of the 2nd inning, tying the game 1-1, but Braun came back with a scoreless 3rd inning to keep the score even.
The Storm Chasers put up 3 runs in the top of the 4th inning, starting with an RBI double from Lugo. Luca Tresh followed with another run-scoring double and Pineda capped off the scoring in the frame with an RBI single to extend Omaha’s lead to 4-1.
Braun subsequently gave up a solo home run in the bottom of the 4th inning to cut the lead to 4-2, but Jacob Berry responded with a solo home run of his own in the top of the 5th inning to put the Storm Chasers back up three, 5-2.
Omaha then kept the Clippers scoreless in the bottom of the 5th inning behind a perfect frame from Braun and grew the lead to 6-2 in the top of the 6th inning with Pineda’s RBI double.
Lugo then scored on a fielding error and made it a 7-2 game in the top of the 7th inning.
The Storm Chasers turned to Carlos Duran to begin the bottom of the 7th inning, finishing Braun’s night. Omaha’s starter ended the game with his 3rd straight quality start and 2nd for the Chasers, going 6.0 innings of 2-run ball while striking out 7 on just 3 hits and 2 walks.
Duran worked a scoreless 7th inning and in the top of the 8th inning, MLB rehabber Vinnie Pasquantino hit a sacrifice fly to bring the Storm Chasers’ edge to 8-2.
Luke Little struck out the side with a 1-2-3 bottom of the 8th inning, then Scott Alexander fired a scoreless 9th inning to close out the 6-run win.
The Clippers will host the Storm Chasers at Huntington Park again on Friday night for the third game of the series. First pitch is set for 6:05 P.M. CT and Henry Williams is scheduled to start for Omaha.