By WJBC Staff
PEORIA – The Peoria Chiefs beat the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 6-0 Friday night for their second shutout in a row as Ryan Helsley struck out a career-high 11.
The Chiefs offense scored in the bottom of the first for the second night in a row against Timber Rattlers pitching.
Eli Alvarez singled off starter Jake Drossner to begin the inning and Edmundo Sosa followed with a single to center. With one out and runners at the corners, Orlando Olivera delivered a single scoring Alvarez from third giving the Chiefs a 1-0 lead and two batters later Chris Chinea singled scoring Sosa. Chinea and Olivera executed a double steal placing runners on second and third. Casey Turgeon reached on a fielding error by Wisconsin second baseman Blake Allemand scoring both runners for a 4-0 lead.
The Chiefs continued to apply pressure to Drossner in the bottom of the second. With one out the duo of Alvarez and Sosa struck again. Alvarez walked and stole second, then Sosa doubled to give the Chiefs a 5-0 lead.
Helsley was in command from the beginning on the mound for the Chiefs. He struck out three straight Rattlers with a runner on second in the second and allowed his only hit with two down in the third inning. Helsley struck out three Rattlers in the fourth and two each in the fifth and sixth before giving way to the bullpen with a shutout intact.
The Chiefs got an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth inning off Wisconsin reliever Connor Harber. Alvarez doubled and Sosa singled home his second RBI of the game giving the Chiefs a 6-0 lead.
Helsley (1-1) extended the Chiefs scoreless streak to 15 innings allowing one hit through six innings and walking two with the 11 strikeouts. Sasha Keubel relieved Helsley in the top of the seventh and pitched two shutout innings giving up no runs, one hit and no walks with two strikeouts. Landon Beck came in for the ninth to close out the game giving up one hit and two walks, striking out two and surrendering no runs.
The Chiefs and Timber Rattlers play game three of the four series at 1:00 pm Saturday.
