Chasers Score 2 in 9th to Beat Cubs 3-1

DES MOINES, IOWA – The Omaha Storm Chasers (26-29/59-70) rallied with 3 unanswered runs to beat the Iowa Cubs (26-31/56-73) on Sunday 3-1. Omaha’s bullpen offered 4.0 scoreless innings and Chasers scored 2 runs in the 9^th inning to secure the victory in the series finale.

Omaha starter Lucas Braun opened the game with 3.0 scoreless innings, working around traffic while keeping the Cubs off the board. Iowa was first onto the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth inning, as Braun surrendered a solo homer for a 1-0 I-Cubs lead.

The Storm Chasers countered in the top of the fifth inning, as Carson Roccaforte and Jacob Berry singled, before a Colton Becker groundout plated Roccaforte to tie the game 1-1.

Braun returned to the mound in the bottom of the 5^th and worked a 1-2-3 inning, finishing his day with just 1 run allowed over 5.0 innings and 3 strikeouts. Behind Braun, Easton McGee pitched a perfect 6^th inning and Carlos Duran worked a 1-2-3 bottom of the 7^th.

Neither pitching staff allowing a baserunner in the 6^th or 7^th, then the Chasers put two runners on base in the 8^th but failed to score the go-ahead run. Nolan Hoffman (1-1) worked around a single for a scoreless 8^th inning.

In the top of the 9^th inning, Alejo Lopez drew a leadoff walk, then Abraham Toro singled and Roccaforte doubled in Lopez for a 2-1 Omaha lead. Berry followed with an RBI groundout that plated Toro for a 3-1 Storm Chasers advantage.

Hoffman returned to the mound in the bottom of the 9^th and retired the Cubs in order to finish off Omaha’s 3-1 win.

After an off day Monday, Omaha will host the St. Paul Saints Tuesday for the first of six games, with a 6:35 p.m. CT first pitch.