Colonial Heights, VA - In their longest game of the season, the Tri-City Chili Peppers lost to the rival Peninsula Pilots 10-4.

After a day off, the Tri-City Chili Peppers returned to Shepherd Stadium for their Mardi Gras Thirsty Thursday game to face off against the Peninsula Pilots. The last matchup between the two teams was also on Tri-City's home field and resulted in a 4-2 Chili Peppers win.

Thursday's game had a discouraging start for Tri-City, with the first Pilots at bat resulting in a triple. Chili Peppers starting pitcher Danny Kirwin (Rider University) struck out the next batter, but a run scored on a pass ball to give Peninsula a 1-0 lead. The Pilots continued to swing the bat hard, with two singles and a two-run home run, and were up 4-0 after the top of the first.

Mars Hill's Kyle Jenkins had the first hit of the night for the Chili Peppers with a single, and he quickly stole second. A wild pitch allowed him to advance to third, all while his succeeding batter, Willie Havens (Elon) was up to bat. Although Havens was called out at first, his contact with the ball allowed Jenkins to score. Tri-City finished off the first inning down 4-1.

The Peninsula bats stayed hot in the second, during which the team put up two runs. A strong throw by catcher Derek Bender (Coastal Carolina) to second base caught a Pilots runner stealing and ended the team's offensive success in the second with the third out.

Brandon Eike of UNC started the Chili Peppers offense off in the bottom of the second with a single. Eike was called out at second while Bender took first base on a fielder's choice. Bender successfully stole second, but Tri-City was unable to score in the second inning, keeping the score at 6-1.

Rojo Prarie (William & Mary) took the mound for the Chili Peppers in the third. Peninsula had a double that nearly cleared the fence and followed it up with a three-run home run to advance their lead to eight. Despite the dominant Pilots offense in the third, Tri-City's outfield lessened the damage. They got in the hard hit ball that was almost a home run to hold the runner at second, and a catch by right fielder Havens ended the half inning.

The only offensive success for the Chili Peppers in the third came from a single by University of New Orleans' Kasten Furr, and the score was 9-1 with one third of the game completed. For the first time in Thursday night's game, Tri-City held Peninsula in the top of the fourth.

The Chili Peppers' bats started to look like those of the team the fans in Shepherd Stadium know and love in the fourth. After a battle of an at bat, Eike walked, and a double by Avery Neaves (University of Lynchburg) brought him back around to home plate. Neaves was able to score as well due to an error that landed Bender on second.

After Tri-City lessened their deficit to six, the Pilots pulled their starting pitcher. However, the bullpen wasn't able to help them out. The next batter, David Jeffers (Northwood University) proved just how essential the nine-hole hitter can be. Jeffers hit a single that allowed Bender to round the bases. With three runs in the fourth inning, the Chili Peppers made the score a much more attainable 9-4.

Reed Garland (FDTCC) pitched for Tri-City in the fifth and didn't allow any hits or runs. The fifth inning was a quick one. The Chili Peppers were unable to maintain their hitting streak, and batted three up, three down. Luckily for Tri-City, the Pilots were also unable to put up any hits or runs in the top of the sixth.

Bender kicked things off for the offense the right way in the bottom of the sixth with a single. He was on a base stealing bender, taking second before a lightning delay was called. After a delay that lasted over an hour, the bottom of the sixth came to an end with no runs added to the scoreboard for the Chili Peppers.

William & Mary's Ned Ruffin took over on the hill in the seventh and pitched three up, three down with two catches by Jenkins at center field. Havens beat out the first baseman for a single in the bottom of the seventh, but his was the only hit of the inning.

Ruffin walked in a run in the top of the eighth to give the Pilots double-digit runs. Neaves had a double to start the bottom of the eighth, but Tri-City didn't have any more offensive success.

Jordan Peyton (Towson University) was the last Chili Pepper pitcher of the night. Peyton prevented Peninsula from advancing their lead. Unfortunately, Tri-City failed to score in the bottom of the ninth. The game ended at 11:13 p.m. with a 10-4 Chili Peppers loss.

"You can only overcome so much," head coach James Bierlein said. "I thought our guys battled and stayed in the game the whole time."

Tomorrow night, the Chili Peppers will have their second split squad game of the season. At Shepherd Stadium, the alter-ego Chilly Peppers will face off against the Greenbrier Knights for the Fan Manager Friday Freebie game. Fans will get the chance to determine what decisions the team makes on the field and will also be awarded with their share of $2,000. For the Coastal Plain League game, the Chili Peppers will visit the Peninsula Pilots to try to find success against their rivals on the road.