Storm Chasers Drop Series Opener to Indians

PAPILLION, NEB. – The Omaha Storm Chasers lost an eighth consecutive game, dropping Tuesday’s series opener to the Indianapolis Indians 9-7.

Indianapolis plated four runs in the first inning on a grand slam and led the rest of the day, with a sacrifice fly in the third inning adding another run to put Omaha in a 5-0 deficit.

Omaha added two runs in the fourth, on an RBI double from MJ Melendez and an RBI groundout from Harold Castro.

The two teams went back and forth in the sixth and seventh innings, with Indianapolis scoring three runs off reliever Ryan Hendrix in the top of the sixth inning. Castro responded with a two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth, his third homer of the year, for a 8-4 score in favor of Indy.

Junior Fernandez surrendered a solo homer in the top of the seventh inning, but the Chasers answered back with three in the bottom half, on an RBI single from Castro and two-run single from Joey Wiemer, pushing to the 9-7 score that held to be final.

Behind 2.0 innings from Hendrix and 1.0 inning from Fernandez, Taylor Clarke pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning and Austin Cox worked a perfect ninth, with Omaha relievers combining to retire the final 7 Indianapolis hitters of the night.

Omaha brought the go-ahead run to the plate in the seventh inning, then put the go-ahead run on in the eighth with a trio of walks, but the Chasers were held off the board in the final two innings, to drop the series opener 9-7.

Melendez, Castro and Nick Pratto each offered two hits, with Dustin Dickerson scoring two runs and Melendez crossing the plate three times.

The Storm Chasers return to action Wednesday at 6:35 p.m. CT with right-hander Chandler Champlain headed to the mound for Omaha.