Hampton, VA - The Tri-City Chili Peppers have started their season out hot. The team pulled off a 9-3 win on the road against the Peninsula Pilots to advance to a 5-0 record and go 2-0 in the rival series.

The Pilots went 17-3 against the Chili Peppers in the 2021 inaugural Tri-City season, but with a new head coach and some new bats and arms in the mix, the Chili Peppers look like a new team this season.

In Wednesday's matchup at Shepard Stadium, Tri-City shut down a Peninsula comeback attempt to win 8-3. Chili Peppers head coach James Bierlein admitted that it would always be a battle when these two teams match up. The scores of Wednesday and Thursday night's Chili Peppers wins do not reflect how much of a battle they truly were.

Tri-City traveled to Hampton to play the Pilots at War Memorial Stadium on Thursday. By the middle of the fifth, the Chili Peppers were up 9-0. Notably, University of Lynchburg left fielder Avery Neaves hit a home run over the center field fence in his first at bat. Neaves also homered in his first at bat against the Pilots at home.

Randolph Macon's Hayden Snelsire pitched the first four innings for the Chili Peppers, holding Peninsula with no hits, runs, or walks and seven strikeouts.

Similar to Wednesday night's game, the Pilots attempted to make a comeback late in the game after a lightning delay, but the Chili Peppers had an electric performance. Peninsula put themselves on the scoreboard with a run in the fifth while William & Mary pitcher Ned Ruffin was on the hill for Tri-City. The Pilots put up another two runs in the sixth with two consecutive home runs while Connor Schumann of Old Dominion University was pitching.

Just like on Wednesday, the Chili Peppers refused to lose to their rivals. Towson University's Jordan Peyton had three up, three down in his pitching appearance in the seventh. Alec Riles of Eastern Mennonite University also pitched three up, three down in the eighth. After some defensive substitutions and a pitching substitution to Terrell Hudson of the University of New Mexico, Tri-City was able to shut down Peninsula in the ninth for a 9-3 win.

The undefeated Chili Peppers will return to Colonial Heights this weekend for three home games on three consecutive nights. For Friday night's Friday Freebie matchup, where the team will be giving away $2,000 in cash, Tri-City will face off against the Martinsville Mustangs, who they shut out 3-0 on opening night. On Saturday, the team will break records on Record Breaking Night while repping their alter ego the Chilly Peppers. Sunday's Faith & Family night will be another matchup against the Peninsula Pilots.

As the weekend progresses, the Chili Peppers will look to maintain their undefeated record and first place in the Eastern Division of the Coastal Plain League. For now, they celebrate two consecutive wins against their rival the Peninsula Pilots.