Peoria Scores Late to Take the Nightcap

GRAND CHUTE, WI – The Peoria Chiefs scored four runs in the top of the seventh inning of the Friday’s regularly scheduled game and held on to defeat the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 7-4 at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. Peoria’s win in the seven-inning contest denied the Rattlers a chance at a sweep of the two games on Friday.

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Wisconsin starting pitcher Reese Olson hit a streak of wildness in the top of the third inning and it cost him. He walked the lead-off batter, got the first out of the inning with a strikeout, and hit Leandro Cedeno on a 1-2 pitch. Olson walked the next batter to load the bases. A walk to Tyler Reichenborn forced in the first run of the game. Another walk to Zade Richardson forced in another run for the Chiefs. Olson limited the damage by getting the next hitter to ground into a 4-6-3 double play.

The Rattlers (20-25) struck quickly to take the lead in the bottom of the third inning. David Hamilton singled with one out. He stole second and went to third on an throwing error. Korry Howell drove in Hamilton and Wisconsin was on the scoreboard. Garrett Mitchell was next and he hit a two-run home run just fair down the line in left to put Wisconsin ahead 3-2.

Peoria (19-27) tied the game in the top of the fourth. They had runners at the corners with two outs when Olson hit Castillo again to load the bases. Olson would walk Chandler Redmond on four straight pitches to force in the run to tie the score 3-3.

Chandler Redmond started the top of the seventh with a single, but he was still at first base with two outs. Rattlers reliever John LaRossa, who had struck out six over 2-2/3 innings, walked Francisco Hernandez to extend the inning.

Rattlers manager Matt Erickson went to left-hander Arman Sabouri to face left-hand hitting Matt Chamberlain. Sabouri got ahead of Chamberlain 1-2, but the next pitch was blooped into right-center for single to score Redmond with the go-ahead run. Jhon Torres twisted the knife a bit when he hit a long, three-run home run to left-center and the Chiefs had a 7-3 lead.

Wisconsin put together a rally in the bottom of the seventh inning and managed to get the winning run to the plate. Hamilton walked with one out. Mitchell and Dillard both walked with two outs to load the bases. Je’Von Ward reached on an infield single to score Hamilton and cut the deficit to three runs.

The storybook ending was not to be as Hayden Cantrelle grounded out to second on a 3-2 pitch to end the game.

The teams split both games that were completed on Friday night with Wisconsin winning the conclusion of Thursday’s suspended game and the Chiefs taking the regularly scheduled game. Wisconsin and Peoria have split the first four games of the six-game series. The Chiefs hold a 9-7 edge in the season series so far.

The series resumes on Saturday night at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium. Zach Mort (1-3, 5.59) is set to start for Wisconsin. Nick Trogrlic-Iverson (2-1, 5.20) is the scheduled starting pitcher for Peoria. Game time is 6:35pm.

Saturday night is Ghostbusters Night at the ballpark. There will be characters from the movies and an ECTO-1 at the game for pictures as part of North Shore Bank Family Night. Stick around after the game for the Saturday night fireworks display presented by Tundraland. Then, have the kids aged twelve and under run the bases courtesy of Meijer.

If you can’t make it out to the ballpark, catch all the action on AM 1280 WNAM starting with the pregame show at 6:15pm. The game will be available on internet audio and through MiLB.tv.