Omaha Falls Behind in Series with 9-1 Loss to Nashville

NASHVILLE, TENN. — The Omaha Storm Chasers dropped a second straight game, with a 9-1 loss to the Nashville Sounds Thursday night at First Horizon Park.

For a third straight game, the Storm Chasers scored first and took a 1-0 lead in the the second inning as Mike Brosseau brought Devin Mann home after three straight walks loaded the bases, but Omaha could not add another run, eventually stranding five runners on base across the first three innings.

Starting pitcher Luis Cessa cruised through the first three innings, facing the minimum with one hit allowed but allowed a pair of hits to open the fourth inning and was removed from the game. Left-hander Anthony Veneziano followed Cessa and allowed the runner he inherited to score, then a pair of his own runs scored in the fourth inning, on two walks and two doubles to give Nashville a 4-1 lead after four innings.

The Storm Chasers' hot offense of recent could not manage to put up any additional runs in the last seven frames after scoring in the second, held to just twos hit the rest of the way. After a single in the first, catcher Logan Porter doubled in the third inning, counting for two of Omaha's three hits. Center fielder Nate Eaton stretched his hitting streak to 10 games with a single in the seventh inning, tying a career-high for his longest professional hitting streak.

Walter Pennington entered the game in the sixth inning for Omaha and cruised through 2.0 scoreless innings, striking out 2 to bring his season total to 19 in just 13.1 relief innings this season.

While the game remained 4-1 from the fourth inning into the eighth, the Sounds pulled away in the bottom of the eight off reliever Collin Selby, tagging the right-hander for five runs on two hits and three walks, while Omaha's pitcher could only record one out.

Jonah Dipoto took over for Selby with two on and one out in the eighth and Nashville leading 7-1 and while he allowed both inherited runners to score, he retired both batters he faced and sent the game to the ninth inning with a 9-1 score that held to be final.

The Storm Chasers continue this week's six-game series against the Sounds Friday at First Horizon Park with a 6:35 p.m. CT first pitch as right-handed pitcher William Fleming takes the mound for Omaha.