COLUMBUS, OHIO – The Omaha Storm Chasers (28-34) jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the second inning but couldn't hold it on Sunday afternoon, falling 9-8 to the Columbus Clippers (35-27) in the series finale at Huntington Park. Brett Squires and Kameron Misner homered, but Columbus stormed back with 8 unanswered runs over the final four innings and walk-off single to hand the Storm Chasers a series loss.
Omaha got off to a fast start in the top of the 1st inning as John Rave worked a leadoff walk and scored on a Drew Waters single. Abraham Toro followed with a 2-run triple and Gavin Cross singled in Toro to cap the inning for a 4-0 Omaha lead.
The Storm Chasers added 3 more runs in the top of the 2nd inning as Squires launched a 3-run home run to center field, his 8th of the season with Omaha, to extend the lead to 7-0. While the Clippers countered with a run in the 3rd on a solo homer, Misner added a solo shot in the top of the 4th inning, his 13th of the year, to make it an 8-1 game.
Columbus began chipping away in the 6th inning, swatting a pair of home runs off Omaha starter Henry Williams, who still managed to work a quality start with 7 strikeouts over 6.0 innings of 3-run ball.
Anthony Gose worked the 7th inning but allowed a run on an RBI groundout, making it an 8-4 Omaha lead. Andrew Pérez then took the mound in the bottom of the 8th but allowed a 2-run home run to Kahlil Watson to trim the deficit to 8-6.
The Storm Chasers turned to Dan Altavilla (0-1) with a two-run lead in the 9th, but Columbus completed the comeback. Clippers third baseman Milan Tolentino led off the bottom of the 9th with a solo homer to make it 8-7, and after a walk and a single, the Clippers tied the game on a wild pitch and won it on a single to center field to complete the comeback over Omaha.
Waters and Toro each went 2-for-5 with 2 RBI in the loss. Misner finished 2-for-4 with a home run, an RBI and two stolen bases, while Cross added a pair of hits and a stolen base.
The Storm Chasers return to Werner Park to open a new series Tuesday night, hosting the Las Vegas Aviators with a 7:05 p.m. CT first pitch.