Peoria, IL – Wisconsin scored early and often to run away with the series finale, beating the Chiefs 15-8 on Sunday afternoon at Dozer Park in front of a Mother’s Day Crowd of 1,112.
The Timber Rattlers racked up 15 runs on 19 hits, the most by a Chiefs’ opponent in a game this season.
Wisconsin set the tone with a five-run, five-hit rally in the top of the first inning, including an RBI triple from Andrew Fischer and 3-RBI double by Luiyin Alastre.
Peoria punched back in the second, as Won-Bin Cho lined a two-run homer to right center field to cut the deficit to 5-2. The shot was his fourth of the season and second in as many games.
The Timber Rattlers then responded with an Eric Bitonti solo homer in the third and then a three-run third inning, capped by a two-run homer from Fischer, growing their advantage to 9-2.
The Chiefs answered with three runs on just one hit in the bottom of the fourth, capitalizing on three walks and six wild pitches from Wisconsin hurler Jose Nova to remain within striking distance, 9-5.
From there, the Timber Rattlers piled on with a run in the fifth, three more in the sixth, and another Fischer two-run blast in the seventh to make it 15-5.
The Chiefs scored the final runs of the game – a Josh Kross RBI single in the seventh and a Tai Peete two-run homer in the eighth – but couldn’t mount the furious rally necessary for a dramatic comeback.
The Chiefs, now 14-18, hit the road to open up a six-game series with Beloit on Tuesday evening, with first pitch set for 6:05 at ABC Supply Stadium. Peoria returns to Dozer Park May 19-24 to host Cedar Rapids for a six-game series.