Chiefs Held Scoreless in Monday Loss to Beloit
April 12, 2010 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Peoria Chiefs News Release
Beloit, WI - The Beloit Snappers returned the shutout favor on the Peoria Chiefs Monday night with a 3-0 win in which the Chiefs managed just one runner past second base all game. The Chiefs shutout the Snappers Sunday and the two teams have combined for just five runs in the first two games of the series.
Beloit picked up a pair of unearned runs on the Chiefs in the bottom of the first. Aaron Hicks, a 2008 first round pick who is repeating the Midwest League, drew a leadoff walk from Nick Struck. Struck picked Hicks off first base but Justin Bour's throw to second sailed into left allowing Hicks to move up 90 feet. Brian Dozier reached on an infield single and Hicks scored on a sacrifice fly by Derek McCallum for a 1-0 Snappers lead. McCallum stole second, moved to third when Mario Mercedes threw to first on a strikeout and scored on a wild pitch to put Beloit up 2-0.
Snappers' starter Tom Stuifbergen (1-0) was outstanding all night long. The Netherlands native allowed a pair of infield singles early but never allowed a runner past second base getting ground-ball out after groundball out. When Jose Valdez reached on an error in the third and stole second, Stuifbergen struck out Logan Watkins to end the threat. He finished with four hits allowed and five strikeouts over six shutout innings.
Beloit extended their lead on a bizarre play in the fourth. Steve Liddle lined a basehit down the left-field line and the ball bounded into the Snapper bullpen and under the bench as their pitchers scattered. Chiefs' left-fielder Richard Jones ran to the bench and immediately threw up his hands signaling that the ball was hidden. But as Liddle kept running, Jones searched for the ball, found it and threw it toward the infield as Liddle scored. The umpires met and chatted with Jones before signaling an inside-the-park home run for a 3-0 Snappers lead.
The Chiefs rallied in the eighth and ninth but couldn't scratch across a run. In the eighth Edgar Ibarra relieved Peter Kennelly with one out and Valdez on first base. Logan Watkins greeted the lefty with a single to bring the tying to the plate. But Matt Cerda flew out to center to end the threat. Greg Rohan started the ninth with a single against closer Steve Blevins and Justin Bour singled to left to again bring the tying run to the plate. Blevins buckled down and struck out Mario Mercedes before Jones advanced both runners with a groundout to second. The game ended when George Matheus flew out to center leaving runners on second and third.
Struck (0-1) took the loss in his first professional start and second outing. The Oregon native allowed three runs, one earned, on six hits over four innings while striking out three. Ronny Morla allowed three hits and struck out two over 2 2/3 shutout innings, and Corey Martin allowed two singles in 1 1/3 shutout innings.
Casey's General Store Player of the Game - Logan Watkins (SS) - Watkins broke out of a 2-for-12 slump with three hits in four at-bats Monday night including a bunt single.
Notes... The shutout was the first against the Chiefs this season...The announced crowd of 280 is the lowest the Chiefs have played in front of since at least 2002...The smallest crowd last season was also in Beloit on May 18 with 352 fans in attendance...The start of the game was delayed by 21 minutes because of the threat of rain and the two teams played in a steady rain from the fifth through eighth innings...Peoria bounced into two double plays and they have hit into five on the season...The Chiefs also turned their first double play of the season...Hak-Ju Lee got the night off for the first time this season with Watkins shifting over to shortstop...Jones (0-for-16), Matheus (0-for-10) and Jovan Rosa (0-for-9) are the three Chiefs without hits on the season...The three-game series concludes on Tuesday with a 6:30 p.m. start...The Chiefs will send RH Rob Whitenack (1-0, 7.20) to the hill in his second start against RH Liam Hendriks (0-0, 0.00)...The game can be heard starting with the pre-game show at 6:15 PM on 96.5 ESPN Radio and www.peoriachiefs.com.
Midwest League Stories from April 12, 2010
- Great Lakes Drops a Close One 4-3 - Great Lakes Loons
- Chiefs Held Scoreless in Monday Loss to Beloit - Peoria Chiefs
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