By WJBC Staff
APPLETON, Wisc. – The Peoria Chiefs gave up two runs in the bottom of the ninth and lost on a bang-bang play at the plate as the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers walked off with a 5-4 win Thursday night. The loss drops the Chiefs to 28-31 in the second half and 68-61 overall on the season with 10 games left.
The Chiefs jumped out to an early lead against Conor Harber. Magneuris Sierra led off with a double and scored on a two-out double off the wall by Brian O’Keefe for a first inning lead.
Peoria added on in the third inning as Sierra singled and moved to second on a groundout by Jose Martinez. A single by Eli Alvarez put runners on the corners and O’Keefe doubled the lead with a sacrifice fly to right.
John Kilichowski cruised through five innings before the Rattlers got a runner past second base. Trent Clark singled and moved to second on a wild pitch with two outs. Jake Gatewood beat out an infield single to put runners on the corners. Lucas Erceg drove a ball off the top of the wall in right-center for a triple as Clark and Gatewood scored to tie the game. The Chiefs changed pitchers and as Harley Holt finished his warmup pitches the two umpires conferred and without checking any replay changed the call and gave Erceg a home run instead of a triple and Wisconsin led 3-2.
The game stayed 3-2 into the eighth inning as O’Keefe drew a two-out walk from reliever Christian Trent. Chris Chinea crushed a 1-1 offering from Trent over the batters eye in center field for a 4-3 Chiefs lead and his sixth home run of the season.
Tyler Bray delivered a perfect bottom of the eighth before Gatewood singled to start the ninth. Erceg doubled to put the tying run at third and Bray struck out Monte Harrison. The Chiefs intentionally walked pinch-hitter Juan Ortiz to load the bases and Bray struck out pinch-hitter Isan Diaz for the second out. Carlos Belonis singled to right and Gatewood scored to tie the game. Carlos Torres fired home and O’Keefe dove toward the plate tagging Erceg as he slid in head first. But Erceg was called safe and the Rattlers won 5-4.
Kilichowski allowed three runs on five hits and two walks over 5 2/3 innings while striking out seven in the no-decision. Holt retired all four batters he faced and struck out one over 1 1/3 innings. Bray (3-5) took the loss allowing two runs on four hits and a walk while striking out three over a 1/3 innings.
