CLINTON – The Peoria Chiefs hit the quarter-pole of the season with a double header sweep of the first place Clinton LumberKings on Saturday with wins of 3-1 and 7-2. The sweep puts the Chiefs at 17-18 overall and in position to win the series on Sunday.
In the opener, Brennan Leitao threw a complete game while the Chiefs broke a scoreless tie in the top of the fourth against Nick Wells. Brian O’Keefe led off with a single and R.J. Dennard drew a walk. O’Keefe moved to third on a double play and scored on a single by Thomas Spitz for a 1-0 Chiefs lead.
Clinton tied the game in the fifth on a solo home run by Conner Hale before the Chiefs regained the lead for good in the sixth. With one out, O’Keefe walked and Dennard singled to second against Wells. An error by first baseman Dalton Kelly scored O’Keefe to put the Chiefs on top 2-1 and Dennard scored on a groundout by Spitz for a 3-1 lead.
Leitao retired Clinton in order in the sixth inning before a wild pitch on a strikeout starting the seventh allowed Hale to reach. With one out Braden Bishop singled to put the tying run on base but Leitao retired Rayder Ascanio on a pop up and struck out Kelly looking to end the game.
Leitao (3-2) earned the win with seven innings in which he allowed one run on five hits. He walked three and struck out seven while earning the Chiefs first complete game of the season.
Peoria got off to a good start in the nightcap as Magneuris Sierra led off with a single against Lukas Schiraldi but was erased on a double play. Eli Alvarez doubled to left field and scored on a single by O’Keefe for a 1-0 Chiefs lead.
Junior Fernandez walked the first two batters in the bottom of the first before a fielders’ choice and a strikeout. However singles by Logan Taylor and Austin Cousino put the LumberKings on top 2-1 and ended the night for Fernandez. Jorge Rodriguez came out of the bullpen and got the Chiefs out of the inning with two Clinton base runners stranded.
The game stayed 2-1 until the fourth inning as Spitz and Dylan Becker drew consecutive one-out walks. Craig Aikin singled to left to tie the game 2-2 though Becker was thrown out at third after a lengthy run down.
With the game scheduled for seven innings, both bullpens kept the game tied into extra innings. In the ninth the Chiefs broke through in a big way against lefty Nick Kiel. Jose Godoy doubled down the first-base line and moved to third on a sac bunt by Spitz. Becker walked and Aikin delivered again with a go-ahead single to left. With two outs Edmundo Sosa singled home two runs for the Chiefs and Alvarez doubled for a 6-2 lead. O’Keefe capped the inning with his first career triple for a 7-2 Chiefs lead.
Fernandez allowed two runs on two hits and two walks with a strikeout in 2/3 of an inning. Rodriguez gave the Chiefs a huge lift with two hits allowed over 4 1/3 shutout innings with one walk and two strikeouts. Tyler Bray allowed one walk and struck out three over two shutout and hitless innings. Steven De La Cruz (2-0) earned the win with two shutout innings in which he walked one and struck out two.
