Storm Chasers Crush Cubs 8-1

DES MOINES, IOWA – The Omaha Storm Chasers (5-5) beat the Iowa Cubs (6-4) in the series opener 8-1 on Tuesday night behind 2 home runs from John Rave and 1 from Kameron Misner. The bullpen also provided 6.2 scoreless innings of relief in the victory. The win brings the Storm Chasers to 5-1 over their last 6 games after starting the season 0-4.

The Cubs opened the scoring in the bottom of the 2nd inning on Kevin Alcantara’s solo home run off Omaha starter Ryan Bergert to make it 1-0.

The Storm Chasers responded in the top of the 3rd inning when Rave hit his first home run of the game, a 2-run shot to put Omaha on top 2-1.

Beck Way (1-0) relieved Bergert with 1 out in the bottom of the 3rd inning, but the Storm Chasers bullpen locked it down from there.

Omaha added to the lead in the top of the 5th inning, starting with Rave’s 2nd home run of the game, another two-run shot. Misner followed with an RBI double before Josh Rojas capped off the frame with an RBI single, making it a 6-1 game.

Storm Chasers reliever Chazz Martinez took over for Way to begin the 6th inning after Way threw 2.2 scoreless innings with a pair of strikeouts. Martinez followed Way with 2.0 hitless and scoreless innings of relief.

Misner stayed hot for Omaha with his first home run of the season in the top of the 7th inning, the team’s 3rd two-run homer of the game to extend the lead to 8-1.

Omaha left-hander Andrew Pérez came in for Martinez at the start of the 8th inning and pitched a perfect frame, with a strikeout to end the frame.

Brandon Johnson finished the game for the Storm Chasers with a scoreless bottom of the 9th inning, finishing off the 8-1 win.

The Storm Chasers return to Principal Park Wednesday afternoon at 12:08 p.m. CT to face Iowa in Game 2 of the 6-game series. Omaha is set to start right-hander Ethan Bosacker for the 2nd time this season.