INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – The Omaha Storm Chasers (16-21) split their doubleheader with the Indianapolis Indians (15-23) Saturday evening. Omaha starter Aaron Sanchez took a no-hitter into the 6th inning in Game 1, and while the Storm Chasers had the Indians down to their last strike, Indianapolis walked it off in the 9th inning to win 2-1. Omaha allowed just 1 run in Game 2, and a 4-run 2nd inning was all the Chasers needed for the 4-1 victory.
GAME 1: INDIANAPOLIS 2, OMAHA 1 (9 Innings)
Neither team recorded a hit over the first 5 innings as Sanchez and Indianapolis starter José Urquidy traded scoreless innings. Sanchez retired his first 5 batters between the 1st and 2nd innings, then struck out 3 in the 3rd inning and recorded a perfect 4th and 5th inning, retiring 9 straight batters between the 3rd and 6th innings.
Sanchez allowed the first hit of the night for either team on a one-out triple in the bottom of the 6th inning, but he worked out of the frame without allowing a run to keep the game scoreless into the 7th inning.
Right-hander Mason Black took the mound for the bottom of the 7th inning and induced a double play to work around a leadoff walk and send it to extras.
In the top of the 8th inning, Omaha’s Elih Marrero collected the Storm Chasers’ first hit of the game, an RBI double that sent home Drew Waters to put Omaha up 1-0.
With Indianapolis down to their last strike in the bottom of the 8th inning, the Indians hit a game-tying RBI double off Black that knotted the score 1-1. Reliever Beck Way (5-2) then came in for Black and retired the only batter he saw in the frame to push the game into the 9th inning.
The Storm Chasers were set down 1-2-3 in the top of the 9th inning, and with one out in the bottom half, Indianapolis’ Esmerlyn Valdez hit a sacrifice fly against Way to walk it off 2-1.
GAME 2: OMAHA 4, INDIANAPOLIS 1 (7 Innings)
The Indians were first to score in Game 2 on a wild pitch from Omaha starter Shane Panzini in the bottom of the 1st inning to give Indianapolis a 1-0 lead.
Panzini followed with a scoreless 2nd inning, and the Storm Chasers put up 4 runs in the top of the 3rd inning to take the lead. The rally started with a 2-run single from Tyler Tolbert that scored Kevin Newman and John Rave, then both Tolbert and Luca Tresh scored on an error from the Indians to extend the lead to 4-1.
Panzini retired the first 2 hitters in the bottom of the 3rd inning, then handed it off to Ben Sears (1-0) who finished off the inning scoreless.
Sears struck out 3 of 4 batters in the bottom of the 4th inning, then went three up, three down in the bottom of the 5th inning.
In the bottom of the 6th inning, the Indians singled and walked off Sears, so the Storm Chasers turned to Andrew Pérez out of the bullpen with two on and nobody out. Pérez then sat down 3 of the next 4 batters, keeping Omaha up 4-1 heading into the 7th inning.
Omaha had Eli Morgan pitch the bottom of the 7th inning and he delivered a perfect frame for his first save of the season.
The Storm Chasers will return to Victory Field for the series finale against the Indians on Sunday afternoon. Right-hander Ethan Bosacker is tagged to start for Omaha with first pitch scheduled for 12:35 P.M. CT.