Briceño Drives in two but Clippers Walk off Chasers
COLUMBUS, OHIO – The Omaha Storm Chasers fell in walk-off fashion Friday night at Huntington Park, as the Columbus Clippers scored four unanswered runs in a 4-3 Omaha loss, the team’s 11th walk-off loss this season. The game began as a pitcher’s duel that saw Omaha hold Columbus scoreless over
COLUMBUS, OHIO – The Omaha Storm Chasers fell in walk-off fashion Friday night at Huntington Park, as the Columbus Clippers scored four unanswered runs in a 4-3 Omaha loss, the team’s 11th walk-off loss this season.
The game began as a pitcher’s duel that saw Omaha hold Columbus scoreless over the first six innings. Storm Chasers starter Jonathan Heasley allowed just two hits over 3.0 scoreless innings, then left-hander Walter Pennington fired three hitless and scoreless innings of relief behind Heasley.
While Heasley did not get any run support, the Chasers finally cracked the scoreboard once Pennington was in the game. Catcher José Briceño opened the top of the fifth inning with a solo homer, his eighth long ball of the season and his fourth straight game with a home run, the first Storm Chaser hitter to homer in four straight since Nick Pratto in 2021.
Three doubles in the sixth inning plated two more runs, as Tyler Gentry doubled to open the frame, then scored on a Nate Eaton double and Briceño doubled in Eaton for a 3-0 lead. After Briceño’s double though, the final 10 Omaha hitters of the evening were retired.
Pennington retired nine of the 11 hitters he faced and handed the ball off to Taylor Hearn, who allowed four of his six hitters to reach. The lefty walked two, then allowed a game-tying three-run homer to Angel Martinez to put the score at 3-3.
After Hearn allowed a two-out single, Evan Sisk got the final out of the seventh, then Will Klein fired a 1-2-3 eighth inning to send the game to the ninth tied at 3-3.
Omaha was retired in order in the top of the ninth and right-hander Dylan Coleman took over for the bottom of the ninth. While he struck out a pair in the ninth, Coleman couldn’t get the final out as he hit a batter, issued an intentional walk and surrendered a walk-off single to Juan Brito, the 11th walk-off loss for Omaha of the team’s 35 road losses this season.
Omaha tries to get back on track against Columbus Saturday at 12:05 p.m. CT. from Huntington Park.