By WJBC Staff
CLINTON, IA – The Peoria Chiefs rode the left arm of Austin Gomber to a 2-1 win over the Clinton LumberKings on Tuesday afternoon to even the three-game series. Gomber struck out seven over a career-high eight shutout innings as the Chiefs move to 13-13 on the season and end a five-game road losing streak.
The Chiefs grabbed the lead in the fourth inning on the legs of Oscar Mercado. The Chiefs shortstop singled to center with one out and stole second. Jeffeson Medina walked Danny Diekroeger to put two on base. On a pitch in the dirt to Nick Thompson, both runners took off and the Clinton catcher threw to second. With Diekroeger tagged out in a run down between first and second, Mercado sped all the way home for a 1-0 Chiefs lead.
The Chiefs doubled the lead in the sixth with a two-out rally. Medina struck out the first two batters before Darren Seferina doubled to right-center and Mercado drew a walk. Diekroeger hit a grounder to short but Mercado won the race to second base on Clinton’s force attempt as the Chiefs loaded the bases. Nick Thompson drew a walk from Medina to bring home Seferina for the 2-0 lead before Clinton got out of the inning.
The only time Clinton threatened against Gomber was in the second with Alex Jackson led off with a single and Chantz Mack beat out a sacrifice attempt for a bunt single. Gomber stuck out Kristian Brito and got Daniel Torres to ground into an inning-ending 6-4-3 double play.
Clinton got on the board in the bottom of the ninth against closer Kyle Grana. Nelson Ward singled to right and advanced to third when the ball got past Blake Drake for a two-base error. A deep fly to center off the bat of Estarlyn Morales plated Ward on a sacrifice fly. Joe DeCarlo walked and Jackson struck out swinging.
Gomber set a new career high with eight shutout innings in which he allowed just four hits, all singles. The lefty did not issue a walk and he struck out seven. Grana allowed an unearned run on one hit in one inning with a strikeout to earn his fourth save.
