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Chiefs Pound Out 20 Hits in 11-5 Win Thursday

June 2, 2011 - Midwest League (MWL) Peoria Chiefs

Lansing, MI - The Peoria Chiefs blew a 5-1 lead Thursday night but this time scored six unanswered to rally for an 11-5 win over the Lansing Lugnuts to avoid the three game sweep. The win moves the Chiefs to 29-25 on the season and 2-5 on this current road trip which moves on to Great Lakes for three more this weekend.

After losing two runners on the base paths in the top of the first, the Chiefs broke through against Lansing starter Misaul Diaz in the third. Arismendy Alcantara singled with one out and stole second ahead of a 2-run blast by Ryan Cuneo. The homer, Cuneo's second of the season, cleared the berm in right-center for a 2-0 lead. Greg Rohan singled and scored when right-fielder Michael Crouse made an errant throw returning Richard Jones' double to the infield. Micah Gibbs singled and Anthony Giansanti put the Chiefs up 4-0 with a single before Sam Strickland came out of the bullpen to get out of the inning.

Lansing grabbed a run off Dallas Beeler in the fifth inning and the Chiefs answered in the sixth as Matt Szczur launched a solo home run into the left-center field berm. The homer, his third on the road trip, put the Chiefs in top 5-1.

The Lugnuts ended Beeler's night with an unearned run in the sixth as Alvaro Sosa came out of the bullpen to quell the rally with the Chiefs up 5-2. But in the seventh, it all fell apart for the Chiefs again who had already blown three similar leads on the road trip. Crouse singled off Sosa and scored on a double by Bryson Namba. Namba scored on a wild pitch to cut the lead to 5-4 before Sosa got an out. Markus Brisker walked and with two outs, D.J. Fitzgerald lost a fly ball in the lights and when he recovered the ball hit off his glove for a run-scoring error to tie the game. Casey Harman came out of the bullpen and retired Marcus Knecht to send the game tied to the eighth inning.

Szczur immediately reached on an infield single off Alex Pepe to start the eighth. Alcantara reached on an error by Pepe and Cuneo singled home Szczur for a 6-5 Chiefs lead though Alcantara was out at third on the play. With two down, Jones reached on a single and Cuneo moved to third on an error before he scored on a wild pitch. With the Chiefs up 7-5, Pepe got out of the inning to strand two runners.

After getting two quick outs in the ninth, Pepe ran into trouble. Szczur singled to left and moved to third on an Alcantara single to right. Cuneo barely beat a throw to first for an infield single as Szczur scored for an 8-5 Peoria lead. Rohan singled home Alcantara and Jones doubled home a pair to center to put the game away with an 11-5 Chiefs lead.

Beeler got a no-decision despite a career-high 5 1/3 innings in which he allowed just one earned run. He stuck out a career-high six and walked one. Sosa allowed three runs, two earned, on two hits and a walk over 1 1/3 innings. Harman (1-0) picked up the win allowed just one hits over 2 1/3 shutout innings and he struck out four.

Casey's General Store Player of the Game - Ryan Cuneo (1B) - Cuneo earns the honors with a 3-for-4 night that included a home run, three runs scored and four RBI. He also walked twice and finished the series 6-for-11 with a homer, two doubles, five runs scored and five RBI.

Notes: Rohan has a career-high 14-game hit streak which is tied for the longest in the MWL this season and the longest for a Chiefs since Josh Harrison hit in 15 straight in 2008The Chiefs have seven blown saves on the season, four on this road tripGibbs has walked nine times in five games played on the road trip and was on base in all five plate appearances Thursday night with his first 3-hit game of the seasonEach of the first six hitters in the Chiefs lineup had at least three hits and each of the first five scored at least two runsThe last game with 20 or more hits was a 24-hit attack on August 30, 2009 at Cedar RapidsGiansanti made his first professional start at second base with Elliot Soto and Pierre LePage unavailableBeeler struck out a career-high six and threw a career-best 5 1/3 inningsThe Chiefs have seven homers on the roadtrip through seven games played and 19 of 31 homers this season have been on the roadThe Chiefs have allowed 13 runs on the road trip in the seventh inning or laterThe Chiefs are 7-3 on Thursday's this seasonPeoria was swept in Lansing in 1999 (4-0), 2005 (4-0) and 2008 (3-0)The only two times the Chiefs have won a series in Lansing was in 2002 (3-1) and 2009 (2-1)The Chiefs now head northeast to Midland, MI for a three-game set with the Great Lakes Loons, an affiliate of the Los Angeles DodgersGame one is Friday at 7:05 p.m. Eastern time as the Chiefs start LH Graham Hicks (1-2, 2.41) against the Dodgers first round pick from 2010 RH Zach Lee (3-1, 3.87)Lee, 20, surprised many when he turned down a full ride to play quarterback at Louisiana State University and signed with the Dodgers at the August deadline for over $5 millionThe broadcast can be heard, starting with the pre-game show at 5:50 p.m. Central time on www.peoriachiefs.com/listenlive which also has downloads for an iPhone/iPad app and a Droid app.

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