Chiefs Top Timber Rattlers 1-0 in Game One

GRAND CHUTE, WI – The Peoria Chiefs scored a run in the top of the fifth inning and held on for a 1-0 victory over the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers in a pitchers’ duel in game one of Sunday’s doubleheader at Neuroscience Group Field at Fox Cities Stadium.

Click here for the boxscore of this game

The starting pitchers were on point during the breezy and cool afternoon. Peoria starter Gordon Graceffo allowed two hits over five innings with five strikeouts as he retired fifteen of the seventeen batters he faced in the game. Wisconsin starter Brandon Knarr didn’t allow a hit over the first four innings.

The Chiefs (1-1) broke the scoreless tie by scraping together a rally on a walk, an infield single, two stolen bases, and an error in the fifth inning. Tommy Jew walked to start the frame. One out later, Matt Chamberlain sent a grounder up the middle and Knarr swiped at the ball behind his back. The ball caromed off the heel of Knarr’s glove for an infield single, the first hit of the game for Peoria.

Jew and Chamberlain pulled a double steal on the next pitch and the Chiefs had runners at second and third with one out.

Wisconsin (1-1) brought their infield in and the strategy almost paid off when Francisco Hernandez hit a hard grounder at third baseman Zavier Warren, who threw to the plate. Jew got caught in a rundown and was tagged out on the way back to third. Francisco took off for second and was safe on a low throw from catcher Darrien Miller. Second baseman Tyler Black toppled over the sliding Hernandez as he tried to make the catch and the ball trickled away from him to allow Chamberlain to score and Peoria had a 1-0 lead.

The Rattlers got a lead-off walk in the sixth and a one-out walk in the seventh against reliever John Beller but could not push across the tying run.