Chiefs Sweep Friday DH

Beloit, WI - The Peoria Chiefs won consecutive road games for the first time this season as they swept a Friday double header from the Beloit Snappers 7-0 and 9-3. The wins move the Chiefs to 8-13 on the season with two games left in Wisconsin this weekend.

     The Chiefs wasted no time in jumping out to an early lead against Beloit starter Chase Cohen. Brandon Riley singled with one out in the top of the first and Nolan Gorman drew a walk. Brady Whalen launched his second homer of the season over the right-field wall for a 3-0 lead.
     Diego Cordero struck out three in the first inning and another in the second as Beloit's only base runner was a walk. In the third inning the Chiefs added to their lead against Cohen. Lars Nootbaar singled to left and Riley drew a walk to put two on base with no outs. Gorman crushed his fifth homer of the season with a no-doubter to right field to put the Chiefs on top 6-0.
     Whalen homered again in the fifth inning, a one-out solo homer to right for a 7-0 lead. The blast gave Whalen his second professional multi-homer game and a season-high four RBI.
     Cordero struck out two in the third and one in the fourth. He walked two in the fifth before ending the frame with his eight strikeout. A perfect sixth gave Cordero a no-hitter into the final inning at 89 pitches. He struck out Logan Farrar to start the frame but Ryan Gridley singled to right on a full-count pitch to break up the no-no. At 100 pitches, Cordero's day was done and Fabian Blanco preserved the shutout with a groundout and a strikeout.
     Cordero (2-1) picked up the win with his third straight quality start. He struck out a career-high nine and walked three while allowing one hit in 6 1/3 shutout innings. Blanco had a strikeout in 2/3 of a perfect inning.
    
     The offense continued rolling in game two against righty starter Joe DeMers. Brandon Riley doubled with one out in the first and he scored on a two-out single to right by Whalen for a 1-0 Chiefs lead.
     Beloit took their first lead of the day in the bottom of the first against lefty Jacob Schlesener. An error with one out and a walk put two on base and Beloit tied the game on a double by Payton Squier. Consecutive singles put the Snappers on top 3-1 before Schlesener got out of the inning.
     Trailing by two, the Chiefs exploded in the fourth inning and regained the lead for good. Gorman led off the inning with a homer to right, his second in as many games and his sixth of the season. With two down, Leandro Cedeno reached on an error and Alexis Wilson drew a walk. Wadye Ynfante beat out an infield single and Cedeno scored to tie the game on a single by Delvin Perez. Nootbaar gave the Chiefs the lead with a mammoth shot down the right-field line, the Chiefs first grand slam of the year. Nootbaar's fifth homer of the season put the Chiefs on top 7-3.
     In the sixth the Chiefs added on against the Snappers bullpen. Nootbaar walked and eventually scored on a single by Gorman for an 8-3 lead. Whalen's sixth RBI of the double header put the Chiefs on top 9-3 and provided the game's final run.
      Schlesener allowed three runs, two earned, on four hits over four innings as he struck out six and walked one. Thomas St. Clair (1-0) earned the win in relief with two shutout inning and Edgar Escobar threw a shutout inning to finish off the sweep.
     The Chiefs are scheduled to start RH Kyle Leahy (0-1, 5.06) in the third game of the series Saturday at 4:00 p.m. The broadcast can be heard, starting with the Pre-Game Show at 3:45 p.m. on the Peoria Chiefs Tune-In Page, which is free and also has a free app for smartphones and tablets.