Chasers down the Express in 11 innings

Omaha, Neb. – Lorenzo Cain capped a three-hit game with a walk-off single in the bottom of the 11th inning, leading the Storm Chasers over the Round Rock Express in front of 7,055 fans Saturday night at Werner Park. It was the club’s third walk-off victory of the season and their 55th overall win in 100 tries.

After a lead-off walk to Jarrod Dyson by losing pitcher Pedro Strop (4-4), Johnny Giavotella – who had squared around to bunt one pitch earlier – doubled to right-center to put the winning run just 90 feet away. David Lough was walked intentionally to load the bases, and Cain followed by ripping a 3-2 offering into left to plate Dyson for the game-winner.

Three innings earlier, it was a Jarrod Dyson two-out, two-run single off Round Rock reliever Cody Eppley that knotted the score at 5-5, setting the stage for extra innings. Dyson’s base-hit brought home Irving Falu and Lance Zawadzki, who moved into scoring position with a double-steal. It was each player’s 12th stolen base of the season.

Mario Santiago (3-3) earned the victory in relief, tossing a scoreless top of the 11th. Luis Mendoza started the game for the Chasers, but wasn’t as effective as he’s been recently, allowing four runs on nine hits in six innings of work. He walked two and struck out four, using 91 pitches following his 118-pitch effort five days ago. Mendoza’s ERA jumped from 2.30 to 2.51, still a full-run better than his closest competitor. The Chasers have won 10 of the last 11 games in which Mendoza has appeared.

Round Rock out-hit Omaha for the second night in a row, and has now collected 30 hits in the first two games of the series without a win to show for it. They have left 25 men on base in the two losses, which have pushed their season-worst losing streak to four games.

Five members of the Express had multi-hit games, including each of the seven-through-nine hitters in the lineup. Shortstop Nick Green homered and drove in three runs for the visitors.

In the American Conference’s divisional races, the Chasers (55-45) picked up a game on second-place Memphis (51-49), which dropped a 7-4 decision at Oklahoma City to fall 4.0 games behind Omaha in the North. In the South, Round Rock (58-42) holds a 4.5-game lead over Albuquerque (53-47), winners of three straight.

The Chasers will look for their fifth-consecutive home victory Sunday afternoon as right hander Sean O’Sullivan (2-1, 4.62) takes the mound against the Express. Round Rock will counter with 2004 first-round pick Eric Hurley (4-0, 4.42), who allowed four runs in four innings in his only start against Omaha this season.