Winning Streak Ends as Chasers Fall 8-3

COLUMBUS, OHIO – One rough inning was too much for the Omaha Storm Chasers to come back from, dropping Thursday’s contest to the Columbus Clippers 8-3.

The game started off quietly, as the two starting pitchers dueled with scoreless innings. Daniel Lynch IV made a rehab start for the Chasers and worked around a double and a walk across 2.0 scoreless frames to keep Omaha within reach going into the third.

Brett de Geus took over for Lynch and got a pair of quick outs but the Clippers broke through with two gone and Columbus saw eight straight hitters reach with two outs, on six hits and two walks, to score six runs and jump ahead 6-0.

Joe Barlow took over for de Geus, who couldn’t finish the third inning and was tagged for two runs in the four inning, on a double, sac fly and home run, but retired his final four of the night, including a 1-2-3 fifth inning.

Omaha got on the board in the top of the fifth, as three straight walks loaded the bases with nobody out, then Bubba Thompson grounded into a double play to bring home the Chasers’ first run. Tyler Gentry added a run with an RBI infield single, at the time bringing the score to 8-2.

At the halfway point in the night the game settled down, as Omaha’s bullpen found a groove. Justin Anderson made his Storm Chasers debut behind Barlow and threw 2.0 scoreless innings, while Will Klein threw a perfect eighth inning to quiet the Clippers bats. Between Barlow, Anderson and Klein, the Chasers’ bullpen retired 15 of the final 18 Columbus hitters.

Angelo Castellano made a bit of noise in the ninth as he connected on his 15^th home run of the season to tie for the team lead, a solo shot that brought the score to the 8-3 that held to be final.

The Storm Chasers will try and bounce back into the win column Friday at 6:15 p.m. CT with right-hander Jonathan Heasley scheduled to pitch.