Omaha Loses Third Straight to Nashville, Falling 3-2

NASHVILLE, TENN. — The Omaha Storm Chasers dropped their third straight game to the Nashville Sounds, losing 3-2 at First Horizon Park on Friday night.

For the first time in this series, the Sounds scored first, when as Yonny Hernández scored crossed home in the bottom of the second inning on a fielder's choice and Cam Devanney throwing error to give Nashville a 1-0 lead.

Omaha's first 10 hitters were retired in order until the top of the fourth inning, when Drew Waters tied the game up 1-1 with his second home run of the season as he got the Chasers' first hit and run of the game all on one pitch. Waters earned his seventh multi-hit of the season and helped the team stay in this game until the later frames, also adding a single in the sixth and walk in the ninth.

Starting pitcher William Fleming earned a no-decision but offered a strong start, as he struck out three over 5.0 innings of one-run ball and stranded seven runners on base over his last four innings of work. Nashville threatened in the fourth inning, but catcher Brian O’Keefe picked Hernández off at third for the first out of the inning to kill a rally the Sounds were trying to mount.

The Storm Chasers took their first lead of the game in the seventh inning, when Devin Mann walked to open the inning, then scored on an RBI double from Devanney for a 2-1 Chasers lead, Devanney's first hit of the week against his former team.

Manager Mike Jirschele replaced Fleming with Dan Altavilla in the sixth inning and the reliever retired his first five batters, but Sounds shortstop Vinny Capra Omaha's lead in the bottom of the seventh with a home run off Altavilla to tie the game at 2-2.

Omaha went quietly in the top of the eighth, then Steven Cruz entered the game for Altavilla in the bottom of the eighth and former Storm Chaser Brewer Hicklen promptly put the Sounds ahead for good as he opened the inning with a solo home run to give Nashville a 3-2 lead that ended up being the final score.

The Storm Chasers made some noise in the top of the ninth inning, putting a pair of runners on with a walk and a hit batter, but left the tying run on third base and the go-ahead run by first, as Devanney grounded out to end the game.

The loss was Omaha's third straight, the second consecutive night with just three hits at the plate.

The Storm Chasers continue this series against the Sounds on Saturday, with a 6:35 p.m. CT first pitch at First Horizon Park as right-handed pitcher Jonathan Bowlan takes the mound for Omaha.