Omaha Walked off Again in Penultimate Game of 2023

Clippers score twice in ninth to come from behind and defeat Storm Chasers

Dylan Coleman surrendered the walk-off hit to Columbus for the second straight game, in Omaha's 4-3 loss to the Columbus Clippers. (Minda Haas Kuhlmann)

By Nicholas Badders

September 23, 2023

COLUMBUS, OHIO – The Omaha Storm Chasers hit three home runs early but could not maintain a lead, as the Columbus Clippers scored twice in the bottom of the ninth to walk off the Storm Chasers for a second straight game, once again a 4-3 loss for Omaha. John Rave

COLUMBUS, OHIO – The Omaha Storm Chasers hit three home runs early but could not maintain a lead, as the Columbus Clippers scored twice in the bottom of the ninth to walk off the Storm Chasers for a second straight game, once again a 4-3 loss for Omaha.

John Rave started the scoring in the top of the second, as he left off the inning with a solo homer, his seventh long ball this season.

Morgan McCullough followed suit and opened the third inning with a home run, his first at the Triple-A level. With two outs in the third, Tyler Gentry left the yard to the opposite field with a solo home run off the video board, his team-leading 16^th of the season for a 3-0 Omaha lead.

Those were the only three runs the Chasers could muster, held to four hits over the final six innings of the game.

Cody Poteet opened the game for Omaha and made his 2023 debut, throwing 2.0 scoreless innings, the 23^rd different pitcher to start a game for the Storm Chasers in 2023.

Drew Parrish followed Poteet as the bulk pitcher and retired his first five batters, including four straight strikeouts, but a pair of hits with two outs in the fourth put the Clippers on the board.

Parrish worked through a scoreless fifth inning, then allowed back-to-back doubles in the sixth to place another run as Columbus cut Omaha’s lead to one run. He retired his next five batters after the RBI double, but exited the game in the eighth after issuing a two-out walk.

Justin Anderson stranded the runner he inherited from Parrish, then stranded the potential tying and go-ahead runs for Columbus on base in the bottom of the eighth and the Storm Chasers entered the ninth leading by one.

Evan Sisk hit the first batter in the bottom of the ninth inning then retired the next two, but was relieved in favor of Dylan Coleman, who was tasked with getting the final out.

Coleman, who allowed the walk-off single less than 24 hours earlier on Friday night, walked his first two batters to load the bases, then with two outs and two strikes, surrendered a two-run single the other way as the Clippers walked off the Chasers for a second straight game, Omaha’s 12^th walk-off loss this season.

The Storm Chasers will try and force a series split Sunday at 12:05 p.m. CT with right-hander Andrew Hoffmann on the mound for the final game of the 2023 season.