Omaha drops Saturday matinee in Columbus

COLUMBUS, Ohio – After taking each of the first four games in the series, the Omaha Storm Chasers (69-71) dropped game five 6-2 to the Columbus Clippers (79-59). The Storm Chasers have already secured the series win, leading 4-1, and the season-series win, leading 11-6.

Left-handers Angel Zerpa and Marcelo Martinez combined to retire each of the first nine Columbus batters.

Will Brennan started the fourth inning with a homer to put the Clippers on the scoreboard. George Valera kept the rally going with a two-run shot, taking advantage of an Omaha error to keep the inning alive and put the Clippers ahead 3-0.

The Storm Chasers got a run back in top of the fifth, using an RBI single from left fielder Dairon Blanco to score second baseman Clay Dungan. Blanco has earned a multi-hit game in six consecutive games and an RBI in each of his last seven games.

Columbus continued the scoring in the bottom of the fifth, using a Bo Naylor two-run homer to extend the lead. The Clippers added another in the sixth, scoring on a Mitchell Tolman groundout to put the score at 6-1.

After going down in order in the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings, catcher Jakson Reetz launched a home run in the ninth. The Storm Chasers couldn’t mount a ninth-inning comeback and dropped game five 6-2.

Omaha and Columbus will finish their six-game series on Sunday. First pitch is scheduled for 11:05 a.m. CDT with coverage set to start at 10:45 a.m. on the Sarpy County Tourism Pregame Show on 1180 The Zone. The Storm Chasers are scheduled to start right-hander Jackson Kowar (4-9, 6.30) while the Clippers have yet to announce their Sunday starter.

After this road trip, the Storm Chasers return home for their final home series of the season, taking on their I-80 rivals, the Iowa Cubs. Omaha and Iowa will play six games in five days with a doubleheader scheduled for Wednesday, starting at 12:05 p.m. Tuesday’s series opener is scheduled to start at 6:35 p.m.

On Saturday, September 24, the Storm Chasers will host Fan Appreciation Night presented by Werner Enterprises, with a post-game concert from Flo Rida.

The full 2022 schedule can be found here and single-game tickets are now available here.

For more tickets and more information, please visit omahastormchasers.com, call the Werner Park Ticket office at (402) 738-5100, and follow the team on social media. You can follow the team on Twitter @omastormchasers, on Instagram @omahastormchasers, and “like” the team on Facebook at facebook.com/omahastormchasers.