Zephyrs Sweep Twin Bill from Storm Chasers
May 25, 2013 - Pacific Coast League (PCL1)
Omaha Storm Chasers News Release
Metairie, LA - Ed Lucas singled in the game-winning run in the bottom of the sixth inning to push New Orleans to a 5-4 win and a doubleheader sweep of Omaha Saturday afternoon and evening at Zephyr Field. The Storm Chasers dropped the opener, 5-3, which was the completion of the suspended affair from May 1, to fall to 23-25 and 3 1/2 games behind Memphis in the American Conference North Division. The Zephyrs have claimed the first two games of the current series and have won five out of six over Omaha this season.
The Storm Chasers struck first in the nightcap in the second inning. A walk to Max Ramirez and singles by Xavier Nady and Anthony Seratelli loaded the bases with nobody out before Chad Tracy grounded into a force out at the plate. Willy Taveras followed with a two-run double that also sent Tracy to third, from where he was able to score on an Irving Falu single. However, centerfielder Kevin Mattison was able to cut down Taveras at the plate for the final out of the frame. The Zephyrs got two runs back in the bottom of the inning on a fielding error by second sacker Christian Colon and a sacrifice fly by Kyle Skipworth.
NOLA's Rob Waite was lifted after two innings in a spot start and replaced by James Leverton, who wriggled out of a bases loaded one-out jam in the third but gave up a two-out RBI hit to New Orleans native Johnny Giavotella that plated Paulo Orlando to push the visitors advantage to 4-2. Three straight singles with one out in the home half loaded the bases and chased Omaha starter Brian Sanches from the hill. Francisley Bueno came on and got Skipworth to pop out but walked Paul Gran to force in a run to move the hosts within one. The southpaw ended the threat by striking out Mattison and was removed from the game after the first two hitters reached to begin the fifth.
Donnie Joseph followed and retired the first two batters he faced before uncorking a wild pitch that allowed Matt Downs to score from second base to get the game even at four. The lefty was lifted with a runner at second base and one out in the sixth and replaced by Kelvin Herrera, who walked two batters to fill the bases. The right-hander, making his first appearance since being sent back to Triple-A from the big leagues, struck out Matt Downs after a 10-pitch battle before Lucas, the former Omaha infielder, came through with the decisive hit that scored pinch-runner Gorkys Hernandez and lifted the hosts record to 12-8 in one-run games. Jordan Conley spun two scoreless innings, including stranding Seratelli at third base with one out in the fifth, to earn the win in his Triple-A debut before Chris Hatcher closed the door in the seventh to register his 15th save of the season.
Nate Adcock took over for Chris Dwyer, who originally started the May 1 game, in the opener and got through the first inning, which has been a trouble spot for him recently, unscathed but ran into difficulty in the second. Gran tripled with two outs to drive in his first two runs of the season with the Z's and scored on a Mattison base hit to make it a 3-0 game. The Chasers got a run back in the third on a Ramirez sacrifice fly that plated Brett Hayes, who opened the inning with a base hit and scooted to third on a Falu double.
Gran and Mattison struck again in the fifth to push the Z's advantage to 4-1 when Gran doubled to start the frame, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a single by Mattison, who put together his fourth multi-RBI game of the season. A wild pitch and Hernandez ground out moved Mattison to third before he crossed the plate on Adcock's third wild offering of the inning to extend the hosts lead to four. The Omaha right-hander was lifted after a walk to Lucas and tagged with the loss after yielding five runs on seven hits while issuing three free passes and striking out three over 4 1/3 innings. Buddy Baumann took over and tossed 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief during which he allowed a pair of singles and struck out six.
Matt Neil had retired 12 hitters in a row until Giavotella led off the seventh with a long ball, his sixth of the year, to draw the visitors within 5-2. Nady followed with a single, advanced to third on Seratelli's base hit and scored on Tracy's fly ball to close the gap to two. Neil finished six innings in relief to record the win after allowing three runs on seven hits while fanning three. Jonathan Albaladejo took over in the eighth and tossed two scoreless innings to earn his first save of the season and give the Zephyrs three wins in the just-completed four-game set.
The present series continues Sunday afternoon with Omaha left-hander Justin Marks taking the hill against NOLA right-hander Doug Mathis. Coverage of the game gets underway at 1:40 pm and can be heard on 1180 Zone 2 The Deuce and online at omahastormchasers.com.
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Pacific Coast League Stories from May 25, 2013
- Iowa Scores Big Early Again, Beats RedHawks - Oklahoma City Comets
- Isotopes Silence Sounds for Second Straight Win - Albuquerque Isotopes
- Zephyrs Sweep Twin Bill from Storm Chasers - Omaha Storm Chasers
- Redbirds Shut Out Express Again, Win 4-0 - Memphis Redbirds
- Sounds Fall to Isotopes, 3-2 - Nashville Sounds
- Marcus Hatley Returns to Iowa Bullpen - Iowa Cubs
- RedHawks Game Notes: May 25, 2013 - Oklahoma City Comets
- Sacramento wins over Tucson - Tucson Padres
- Sky Sox Belt Five Home Runs in 13-8 Win - Colorado Springs Sky Sox
- Series Opener Goes to Sacramento, 5-2 - Sacramento River Cats
- Bloomquist Boosts Aces to 8-5 Win - Reno Aces
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