Omaha Takes Control in Game Five With 11-5 Win

COLUMBUS, OHIO - The Omaha Storm Chasers dominated the Columbus Clippers Saturday afternoon, with an 11-5 win at Huntington Park.

The Storm Chasers came out the gates strong as Tyler Tolbert led off with his first of three singles in the game. Drew Waters and Nick Pratto followed with a pair of walks to load the bases and CJ Alexander singled Tolbert home for the game's first run.

Chasers shortstop Cam Devanney hit an infield fly behind second base and Waters tagged from third base to score the team’s second run of the inning. The next at-bat, Devin Mann ripped a double to left field and brought Pratto home to extend the lead 3-0 in favor of the Chasers.

In the bottom of the second inning, Columbus cut into Omaha’s lead as Bryan Lavastida homered to left field to make the score 3-1.

Omaha answered right back as Alexander hammered his second home run of the season to right-center field to extend his team's lead back to 4-1 in the top of the third inning. The Chasers added more runs to the scoreboard in the top of the fifth inning as Alexander doubled to center field to bring Logan Porter home. Devanney then unleashed his first home run of the season to right field to extend the lead to 7-1. The runs kept coming in the sixth inning as Porter singled up the middle to plate Waters and Pratto home as the lead grew to 9-1.

Omaha continued its run parade into the seventh as the team scored in its third consecutive inning. Tolbert started the damage as he singled up the middle to score Devanney, then with bases loaded, Mann scored from third base on a wild pitch to extending Omaha's lead lead to 11-1.

Starting pitcher Daniel Lynch IV had a stellar outing as he earned his first win of the year and held the Clippers to one run over 5.0 innings, surrendering only a home run in the second inning, before he was relieved for Evan Sisk.

After Sisk fired a scoreless sixth inning, the lefty ran into trouble in the seventh and right-hander John McMillon came to get the final out in the bottom of the seventh inning. McMillon could not get the last out as he issued four straight walks and forced in three runs to bring Omaha's lead down 11-5.

Sam Long finished the seventh inning behind McMillon and fired a scoreless eighth before Will Klein pitched a scoreless ninth inning to finish off the win.

As a team, Omaha's 11 runs and 17 hits were both season highs, as were seven extra-base hits, seven walks and four steals. Eight players recorded hits, including seven multi-hit efforts. Tolbert and Alexander led the way with three hits each.

The Storm Chasers conclude this six-game series against the Columbus Clippers on Sunday, April 7 at Huntington Park with a 12:05 p.m. CT first pitch as they search for a series split.