Loftin Drives in Two as Chasers Drop Series Opener to Mud Hens

Omaha strands 15 runners in 9-2 loss to Toledo

Nick Loftin went 2-for-4 with both of Omaha's runs batted in, in Tuesday's 9-2 loss to Toledo. (Minda Haas Kuhlmann)

By Nicholas Badders

May 16, 2023

PAPILLION, NEB. – While Nick Loftin drove in a pair of runs, the Omaha Storm Chasers stranded 15 runners on and were just 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position, to drop Tuesday’s series opener to the Toledo Mud Hens 9-2. Loftin put Omaha ahead in the bottom of the first,

PAPILLION, NEB. – While Nick Loftin drove in a pair of runs, the Omaha Storm Chasers stranded 15 runners on and were just 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position, to drop Tuesday’s series opener to the Toledo Mud Hens 9-2.

Loftin put Omaha ahead in the bottom of the first, as Mud Hens starter Ashton Goudeau walked the bases loaded with two outs and Loftin singled home Samad Taylor for an early 1-0 lead.

Toledo, however, torched Omaha starter Jonathan Heasley for six runs in the second on five hits and a walk, including two home runs and five runs with two outs, to jump ahead 6-1, holding a lead for the remainder of the evening.

Heasley pitched well outside of the second inning, with 1-2-3 first and third innings and stranded a pair in the fourth, striking out four over 4.0 innings.

Loftin doubled home Johan Camargo in the third inning, after Camargo’s first of two hits in his Storm Chasers debut, but Omaha could not bring home another run the rest of the night.

The Storm Chasers stranded at least one runner on in every inning, leaving the bases loaded in the first and seventh inning as well. Eight different players walked and four players had multi-hit games in the losing effort.

Behind Heasley, right-hander James McArthur made his Storm Chasers and struck out five over two innings, just allowing a solo homer to open the sixth. After allowing a double to lead off the seventh, McArthur gave way to Collin Snider, who allowed the inherited runner to score, then allowed a runner of his own to cross the plate for a two-run inning, putting the Mud Hens up to the 9-2 score that held to be final.

Dylan Coleman fired a scoreless eighth inning and Ryan Weiss kept the Mud Hens off the board in the ninth and while Omaha’s offense had hits in each of the last five innings, could not inch any closer and fell by seven runs in Tuesday’s series opener.

Left-hander Daniel Lynch heads to the mound for Omaha Wednesday in the second game of the series, with a 6:35 p.m. CT first pitch at Werner Park.