Star Wars Night draws large crowd for Chasers victory

Papillion, Neb. – The Omaha Storm Chasers (13-14) took down the Columbus Clippers (18-10) 10-8 on Star Wars night in front of the largest crowd the Chasers have seen this season with 6,025 fans in attendance.

After retiring the Clippers in order in the first, the Chasers wasted little time getting on the scoreboard. 2B Clay Dungan started the inning of with a single to the shortstop and moved to third when 1B Vinnie Pasquantino hit a double into left field. C Freddy Fermin drew a walk to load the bases with one out in the first.

DH Gabriel Cancel would move everyone with a base with a line drive single to left to plate the first Omaha run of the game. LF Dairon Blanco was hit by a pitch, scoring another Chasers run. The Clipper’s starter continued to struggle with his control, walking CF Jacoby Jones to score Fermin and throwing a wild pitch to score Cancel. The next to batters would flyout to end the first with Omaha ahead 4-0.

The first batter for Columbus in the second would hit a home run, before RHP Jonathan Heasley would strikeout the next three batters in three different ways. Heasley sat down the first guy looking, the second on an automatic strike, and the third swinging.

Columbus would come back with another run in the third, but this time the Storm Chasers would answer with one of their own. Blanco drew a one-out walk and would come around to score when SS Angelo Castellano hit a single to right field to push the Chasers lead to 5-2. Castellano would get caught in a pickle during the play ending the two-out-rally.

Dungan would get on base by way of a Clipper error in the fourth, reaching second on the play. Pasquantino reached on a fielder’s choice that moved Dungan to third. RF Brewer Hicklen used an RBI single to score Dungan and Cancel would use an infield single to load the bases with two away and Omaha would score on another wild pitch to extend the lead to 7-2.

Omaha would respond to a Columbus run in the sixth with three of their own. Pasquantino used an error to start the bottom of the frame that forced a Columbus pitching change. Hicklen would hit a single to left before scoring on a 2 RBI double from Fermin. Blanco would hit into a double play to put Fermin at third with two outs. A single into left from Jones would score Fermin making Omaha’s lead 10-5 after six.

The Clippers would get two runs back in the top of the eighth and one in the ninth, but with the bases loaded RHP Arodys Vizcaíno (save, 4) stuck out the final batter to secure the 10-8 victory for the Storm Chasers. RHP Brad Peacock (2-1) got the win for Omaha.

The Storm Chasers continue their series against the Clippers on Daughter Date Night tomorrow. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. and coverage begins at 6:20 p.m. with the Sarpy County Tourism Pregame Show on 1180 The Zone.

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.