LumberKings Slug Way to Series Win in Peoria

Peoria, IL - The offense started early and lasted all night for the LumberKings on Friday in Peoria. They rifled out 13 hits and beat the Chiefs, 12-4, at Dozer Park to take the series. 

Clinton held a 3-1 lead heading to the seventh inning when the bats kicked into high gear. Ketel Marte and Taylor Ard collected run-scoring hits in the seventh for a 5-1 lead. 

Meanwhile, LumberKings starter Matt Anderson was dealing. The right-hander allowed a first-inning run and then retired 15 of the next 17 he faced. Anderson handed off to Blake Hauser in the seventh and the reliever struggled to throw strikes. He allowed a single and a pair of walks and was lifted for David Holman.

An error on LumberKings' third baseman Patrick Kivlehan forced in the second run of the inning but Holman got a 5-3 double play and a groundout to end the threat.

In the eighth, Clinton exploded for seven runs. The seven runs is a season-high in a single inning. They did it on only three hits as four walks and an error plagued Peoria pitching in the frame. 

Ard led the offensive charge with a 3-for-5 night with five driven in. The first baseman had a bases-clearing double in the eighth. Other multi-hit games came from Marte, Dario Pizzano and Marcus Littlewood. Anderson picked up his third win of the year and Holman was credited with a hold. 

The LumberKings travel north to Wisconsin to begin a three-game series with the Timber Rattlers on Saturday. Left-hander Scott DeCecco (4-5, 4.03) gets the ball for Clinton against Wisconsin right-hander Jorge Lopez (2-4, 8.33). First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 PM CT at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium.