APPLETON, WI – Ty Van Dyke fired six shutout innings and the Chiefs extended their win streak to six games with a 6-0 win in game one, but Wisconsin took a 12-7 victory in game two to split a doubleheader on Wednesday afternoon at Neuroscience Group Field.
In game one, Van Dyke was the beneficiary of a whopping five double plays turned by the Chiefs infield, helping the righty work around five walks. With the shutout effort, Van Dyke became just the second Peoria pitcher to throw six innings in a start this season, joining Leonel Sequera.
Peoria’s bats backed their starter with a three-run fourth inning. Cameron Nickens opened the scoring with an RBI single and Won-Bin Cho followed with a two-RBI triple off the center field wall to open a 3-0 advantage.
The Chiefs doubled that lead with two home runs in the fifth: a solo shot from Jack Gurevitch and a two-run homer from Cade McGee.
Nolan Sparks finished the team's second shutout win of the season with a scoreless seventh inning. Chiefs arms struck out just two batters in seven frames, a season low.
In game two, Wisconsin rallied for six runs on five hits and two errors in the bottom of the first inning to put Peoria in a hole they could never escape. All runs were charged to Nate Dohm, who took the loss.
The Chiefs scrapped into the game, though, starting with back-to-back home runs from Tre Richardson III and Sammy Hernandez in the second inning.
Peoria narrowed the deficit to one in the top of the fourth. Hernandez ripped an RBI double, and Jose Cordoba followed with a two-RBI two-bagger to cut the score to 6-5.
Wisconsin got some wiggle room back in the bottom of the inning, as Juan Baez smoked a bases-loaded, three-RBI double off the top of the left field wall to push the score to 9-5 Timber Rattlers.
Peoria applied pressure again in the fifth. Richardson brought himself within a double of the cycle, poking an RBI triple to the right field wall. Hernandez brough him home with a single for his third hit and RBI of the night cap, bringing the Chiefs back within two, 9-7.
Wisconsin provided the back-breaker in the bottom of the sixth, as Luis Castillo launched a three-run home run to put the game out of reach.
The Chiefs, now 22-25, return to action on Thursday night at 6:40 in Appleton with Tanner Franklin set to start on the mound. Fans can tune into the hometown broadcast online at PeoriaChiefs.com.