Chiefs Win Slugfest 9-6

Peoria, IL- The Chiefs came out on the winning side of a slugfest at Dozer Park, defeating the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 9-6 on Friday.

With the victory, the Chiefs have secured the series win and are over .500 for the first time this season at 13-12.

The highlight of the night for Peoria was back-to-back solo home runs in the sixth inning off reliever Russell Smith. Noah Mendlinger led off the frame with a blast to right field. Two pitches later, Elijah launched his first of the year 469 feet to left-center. That was the beginning of a three-run inning as Nathan Church and Victor Scott hit back-to-back doubles to make it a 9-4 ballgame.

The mid-game outburst put Chiefs starter Zane Mills in line for his third win of the season. Mills tossed six innings, allowing four runs on nine hits. He punched out five Wisconsin batters.

The Timber Rattlers tagged Mills for three runs in the first inning to start the scoring. A two-run home run from Ben Metzinger and an RBI single by Alex Hall made it 3-0.

Peoria cut the deficit to 3-2 in the second, taking advantage of three Wisconsin errors in the inning. After Francisco Hernandez reached on an error with two outs, Mendlinger doubled him home. Cabell then benefited from a throwing error that scored Mendlinger.

Mendlinger went 2-for-3 in the game with two RBI and two runs scored.

The Chiefs took its first lead of the night in the third. Two RBI groundouts from Jeremy Rivas and Osvaldo Tovalin made it 4-3.

Those were the only earned runs on Tyler Woessner’s line. Woessner went four innings, allowing four runs on five hits. He walked three and fanned two.

Wisconsin tied the game in the fifth on a Darrien Miller solo home run. Peoria responded with two of its own in the bottom half. Scott reached second on an error and swiped his 20th base of the year by taking third. Jimmy Crooks drove him in with a single. Following a Rivas double, Tovalin grounded out which scored Crooks and made it a 6-4 game.

After the Chiefs three-run explosion in the sixth, Wisconsin tried to make things interesting in the late innings.

In the eighth, the Timber Rattlers loaded the bases against Alfredo Ruiz. Ruiz walked Jesus Chirinos which made it 9-5. With the bases still loaded, right-hander Chris Roycroft entered the contest. He turned in a strikeout and a groundout to strand the bags full.

Wisconsin cashed in a lead-off triple in the top of the ninth against Roycroft but they could get no closer than the final margin of 9-6.

The Chiefs improve to 13-12 and are now one game back of second place South Bend and 2.5 games back of first place Beloit. The Timber Rattlers fall to 8-16.

Game five of the series is set for tomorrow at 6:35 P.M.