Williams dazzles in Chiefs’ win

Posted on August 4, 2016

By WJBC Staff

PEORIA – The Peoria Chiefs scored four runs in the first inning and never looked back in a 6-1 win over the Quad Cities River Bandits Wednesday night. The win moves the Chiefs back to .500 in the second half at 19-19 and they are 59-49 overall on the season.

Newcomer Ronnie Williams took the mound for the Chiefs and stranded two River Bandits in the top of the first with a strikeout to end the inning. Magneuris Sierra led off the bottom of the inning with a single and Jose Martinez followed with a single. Matt Bower induced a double play before Chris Chinea singled home Sierra for a 1-0 Chiefs lead. Leo Pina singled to left and the River Bandits shifted their defense dramatically for lefty RJ Dennard. The Chiefs first baseman fouled off two pitches with two strikes before depositing a three-run home run into the left-field berm for an opposite filed homer and a 4-0 lead.

The Chiefs still led 4-0 into the fifth when they used the long ball again to extend the lead. Martinez walked and Brian O’Keefe hit a laser shot over the berm and into the Left Field Landing for a 6-0 Chiefs lead. O’Keefe has three homers in his last four games and nine on the season to lead the Chiefs.

Williams got the first two outs of the seventh inning before giving up a single to Kristian Trompiz. Josh Wirsu took over on the mound and Ryne Birk’s double to the gate in right-center ended the shutout with the Chiefs lead cut to 6-1. Wirsu retired Kyle Tucker to end the inning and Quad Cities didn’t threaten the rest of the way.

Williams (1-0) allowed one run on five hits and one walk over 6 2/3 innings while striking out seven to earn the win. Wirsu allowed one hit and struck out two over 1 1/3 shutout innings. Tyler Bray struck out all three batters he faced in the ninth.

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