PAPILLION, NEB. – The Omaha Storm Chasers (4-7/37-48) lost in both games against the Indianapolis Indians (7-4/38-48) on Saturday night. After Friday night’s game was suspended in the 4th inning, it resumed Saturday night, but the Storm Chasers couldn’t get the offense rolling, falling 6-0. The regularly scheduled July 4 game went 7 innings, but Omaha failed to hold back the Indians as they beat the Storm Chasers 17-4.
GAME 1: OMAHA 0, INDIANAPOLIS 6 (9 Innings)
Mason Black (0-2) started the game for Omaha with a scoreless 1st inning on Friday night, but allowed a solo home run in the top of the 2nd inning to give the Indians a 1-0 lead.
Black came back with a perfect top of the 3rd inning, but he allowed a pair of singles and a sacrifice bunt to open the top of the 4th inning before exiting the game for Andrew Pérez with one out and runners on second and third. Before Pérez could throw a pitch, the game entered a rain delay, and after over an hour, it was suspended until Saturday.
When play resumed on Sunday, Dan Altavilla took Pérez’s spot on the mound and retired both hitters he faced in the 4th inning to keep the Indians off the board.
Altavilla allowed an RBI single in the top of the 5th that extended Indianapolis’ lead to 2-0, but Scott Barlow fired a 1-2-3 top of the 6th inning after that.
In the top of the 7th inning, Barlow allowed back-to-back one-out home runs to make it a 4-0 game, then Anthony Gose allowed an RBI double in the top of the 8th inning to extend the Indianapolis lead to 5-0.
One more run came across for the Indians in the top of the 9th inning on a solo home run off Ben Sears, but the Storm Chasers couldn’t manage a run in the bottom half despite putting runners on the corners and Indianapolis finished the 6-0 shutout of Omaha.
GAME 2: OMAHA 4, INDIANAPOLIS 17 (7 Innings)
Bailey Falter (2-1) opened the second game for Omaha, but allowed an RBI double and sacrifice fly to give the Indians a 2-0 lead before Ryan Ramsey finished the 1st inning with a groundout.
The Storm Chasers responded with an RBI single from Abraham Toro to cut the lead to 2-1 in the bottom of the first inning, and Ramsey subsequently fired a perfect top of the 2nd inning.
Ramsey came back out for the 3rd inning and struck out 2 in a scoreless frame, but he allowed 4 runs in the top of the 4th inning before exiting the game with the bases loaded and two outs. Pérez took his place on the mound, but he gave up a grand slam to the first batter he saw, scoring all three inherited runners and putting Indianapolis ahead 10-1.
Omaha turned back to Pérez for the top of the 5th inning, and he kept the Indians from scoring, but in the top of the 6th inning, he allowed a leadoff home run and Génesis Cabrera took over with one away and runners on first and second. Cabrera then allowed both inherited runners to score on an RBI single, and later surrendered a grand slam for a 17-1 Indianapolis lead.
Toro hit a 3-run home run in the bottom of the 6th inning to cut the deficit to 17-4, then he took the mound as a position player pitcher in the top of the 7th and fired a 3-up, 3-down frame.
Omaha put a pair of runners aboard in the bottom of the 7th, but couldn’t drive them in, finishing the 13-run loss.
The Storm Chasers will host the Indians for the series finale on Sunday afternoon to cap off Freedom Weekend. First pitch is set for 2:05 P.M. CT and Henry Williams is scheduled to start for Omaha.