Lopez Homers, Chiefs Win 6-2 Saturday

Grand Chute, WI - The Peoria Chiefs scored four runs in the second inning and knocked off the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 6-2 Saturday afternoon to even the three-game series. The win moves the Chiefs back to .500 at 10-10 with one game left on the road trip.

     Both teams got a one-out double in the first inning but neither team scored. Juan Yepez drew a leadoff walk from Alec Bettinger in the second and scored on a one-out double to right by Dennis Ortega. Nick Plummer tripled off the center field wall and circled the bases when Joangtel Segovia misplayed the carom for an error. With the Chiefs up 3-0 Edwin Figuera bunted for a single and stole second base. Irving Lopez put the Chiefs on top 4-0 with his second double of the game but he was thrown out at the plate on a single by Yariel Gonzalez to end the inning.
    Wisconsin scored in the third against Zach Prendergast, making his first start of the season. Payton Henry doubled off the left-field wall and scored on a one-out single by Segovia. The Rattlers had two runners on with one out but two flyouts ended the threat.
     The Chiefs got the run back in the fourth. Ortega reached on an infield single and stole second with one out. An error by Nick Roscetti at second base allowed Figuera to reach and Jonatan Machado drove in Ortega with a sacrifice fly.  
     The lead grew in the fifth inning as Lopez launched a towering home run down the right-field line to start the inning. The homer, his first of the season, put the Chiefs on top 6-1 before Bettinger retired the next three batters.
     Levi MaVorhis took over on the mound for the Chiefs in the sixth inning and retired the first two batters. Demi Orimoloye doubled to left and scored on a single by Gilbert Lara to cut the Chiefs lead to 6-2.
    Prendergast (3-0) earned the win as he allowed one run on four hits and a walk over five innings. MaVorhis allowed one run on four hits over 1 1/3 innings. Thomas St. Clair notched his second save of the season while striking out four over 2 2/3 hitless and shutout innings.
Notes… Yepez had a seven-game hit streak end but he drew a walk to extend his on-base streak to 13 games…Elehuris Montero went 0-for-4 to end a seven-game hit streak and a 12-game on-base streak…Denton six gamer…Lopez had a career-high four hits and tied a Chiefs season high with nine total bases…Ortega had his first multi-hit game of the season in his first start since Monday…Chiefs catchers are 8-for-22 (.363) with three homers, a double, five runs scored, three walks and nine RBI on the road trip…Prendergast did not allow a run in his first 9 1/3 innings this season before the Segovia single in the third…He is tied with seven others for the MWL lead in wins…The Chiefs turned a season-high four double plays…The Chiefs have scored at least four runs in an inning five times this season against Wisconsin in eight games…Peoria has 14 home runs on the season, 10 in the eight games against Wisconsin…The Chiefs have homered in three straight games…The series and roadtrip end at 1:05 p.m. Sunday as the Chiefs start RH Winston Nicacio (0-0, 4.91) against Rattlers RH Nelson Hernandez (2-2, 6.88)…The broadcast can be heard, starting with the Pre-Game Show at 12:50 p.m. on www.peoriachiefs.com/listenlive and is also available on the Peoria Chiefs Network in the Tune-In Radio App.