Alcantara Powers South Bend Past Peoria
April 27, 2023 - Midwest League (MWL)
Peoria Chiefs News Release
South Bend, IN- On a night where the Chiefs and Cubs combined for just eight hits, Kevin Alcantara's two-run homer proved to be the difference in South Bend's 3-1 win on Thursday. With the loss, Peoria fell to 8-10 on the young season.
Cooper Hjerpe took the ball for the Chiefs on Thursday and worked through a first inning jam. The 22-year-old punched out Alcantara on 12 pitches to begin the contest but later ran into trouble. Hjerpe surrendered three walks to load the bases before a strikeout ended the inning.
In the second, Alcantara got his revenge for the earlier strikeout. With a runner on first, the Cubs No. 2 prospect connected on a two-run homer to give the home team a 2-0 lead. Hjerpe exited the game after four innings. He walked five batters and whiffed seven, both career highs for the 2022 first-rounder.
Peoria was held in check by South Bend starter Brandon Birdsell. The right-hander turned in five shutout innings and did allow a Chiefs runner to advance beyond second base.
Chiefs reliever Edgar Manzo kept the club in the ballgame as he traded zeroes with Cubs bullpenner Frankie Scalzo Jr. Manzo turned in three scoreless innings and scattered just one hit. The Cubs tacked on an insurance tally in the bottom of the eighth against Leonardo Taveras with a sac fly.
With two outs in the ninth, Peoria started a mini rally. Nathan Church singled into center to keep the team alive. With two more hits Thursday, Church extended his on-base streak to 12 games and his hit streak to eight straight. After a wild pitch moved Church to second, Jeremy Rivas doubled into the left field corner to make it a 3-1 game. Jimmy Crooks represented the tying run at the plate, but Scalzo got him to ground out to end the game.
The series continues Friday from South Bend.
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