ST. PAUL, MINN. – The Omaha Storm Chasers (22-24) fell 14-4 to the St. Paul Saints (24-22) Wednesday night. Josh Rojas hit a home run for Omaha, but St. Paul hit four home runs in the 10-run win over the Chasers.
Storm Chasers starter Shane Panzini (1-3) opened the game with a perfect 1st inning, but a solo home run from Kyler Fedko in the bottom of the 2nd inning gave the Saints an early 1-0 lead.
Panzini retired the first two batters in the bottom of the 3rd inning, but issued a walk, then allowed back-to-back singles which drove in a run to bring the score to 2-0.
Fedko hit another solo home run off Panzini in the bottom of the 4th inning, but Omaha’s Brett Squires gave the Storm Chasers their first run of the game by hitting an RBI single to cut the deficit to 3-1.
The Saints worked their 3rd home run of the game off Panzini in the bottom of the 5th inning, another solo shot that extended St. Paul’s lead to 4-1. Mason Black then took over for Panzini with one out in the frame and he finished it off without allowing another run.
Black returned to the mound for the bottom of the 6th inning but allowed the first five Saints hitters of the inning to reach along with two more before Helcris Olivárez took over with two on and two out and Omaha down 9-1. Olivárez then allowed both inherited runners to score on a 3-run home run on his first pitch of the game, extending the gap to 12-1.
Rojas hit a 3-run home run in the top of the 7th inning for the Storm Chasers but Olivárez allowed a 2-run double in the bottom of the 7th before Anthony Gose replaced him and finished the frame trailing 14-4.
Gose struck out 2 in a scoreless 8th inning, but Omaha went down 1-2-3 in the 9th to finish the game.
The Storm Chasers return to CHS Field for the third game of the series Thursday evening. Omaha has Mitch Spence scheduled to start with first pitch at 6:37 P.M. CT.