LOUISVILLE, KEN. – John Rave hit a go-ahead, 9th-inning grand slam to lead the Omaha Storm Chasers (6-10/39-51) to a 6-4 victory over the Louisville Bats (7-8/46-42) on Friday night. Rave went 3-for-5 in the game, while Bailey Falter allowed just 2 runs over 5.0 innings in his start as the Storm Chasers won their first game of the series.
Falter opened the game with a perfect bottom of the 1st inning, but allowed an RBI single in the 2nd inning and a sacrifice fly in the 3rd inning to give the Bats a 2-0 lead.
The Storm Chasers tied it back up 2-2 in the top of the 4th inning when Peyton Wilson hit a 2-run double, and Falter kept it tied with back-to-back scoreless frames in the 4th and 5th innings.
Scott Barlow took over for Falter to begin the bottom of the 6th inning, with Falter accruing 5.0 innings while allowing just the 2 runs to score and issuing 1 walk.
Barlow then worked a scoreless 6th inning, but in the bottom of the 7th inning, he allowed a run to score on a wild pitch before exiting the game. Génesis Cabrera came in for him with two on and one out, but after walking the bases loaded, allowed an RBI groundout before finishing the frame down 4-2.
Cabrera struck out the first batter in the bottom of the 8th inning, then Dan Altavilla (3-2) retired the next two for a 1-2-3 frame.
In the top of the 9th inning, Luca Tresh, Drew Waters and Rudy Martin Jr. all reached base before Rave stepped up and hit a one-out, go-ahead grand slam to put Omaha in front 6-4.
Altavilla returned for the bottom of the 9th inning, and he fired a 3-up, 3-down frame to end the game and earn the win.
The Storm Chasers will return to Louisville Slugger Field for Game 5 of the series with the Bats Saturday evening. First pitch is scheduled for 6:15 P.M. CT and Omaha has Henry Williams in line to start.