Captains Walk off Chiefs Behind Six-Run Ninth
MWL Peoria Chiefs

Captains Walk off Chiefs Behind Six-Run Ninth

Published on August 13, 2025 under Midwest League (MWL)
Peoria Chiefs News Release


EASTLAKE, OH - Down to their final out, the Lake County Captains stormed back from four runs down with a six-run rally to defeat the Peoria Chiefs, 9-7, capped by a Juan Benjamin grand slam on Wednesday afternoon at Classic Auto Group Park.

With Peoria ahead 7-3 and just three outs away from victory, Lake County led off the bottom of the ninth inning with a Garrett Howe solo home run to right field, the Captains' first hit since the fifth inning, trimming the deficit to 7-4. Chiefs right-handed reliever Jawilme Ramirez retired the next two batters before the rally caught fire. A fielding error allowed Jose Devers to reach, and Bennett Thompson followed with a single to left field, putting runners at the corners. Esteban Gonzalez then reached on another error, plating a run to make it 7-5. A walk to Maick Collado loaded the bases for Benjamin, who crushed a 3-2 pitch over the right-field wall for the game-winner. All told, only one of the six runs were earned against Ramirez.

Earlier, the Chiefs had battled back from a 3-2 deficit in the seventh inning. Back-to-back doubles from Chase Adkison and Ian Petrutz tied the game, and Brayden Jobert followed with a double to left field, scoring Petrutz for a 4-3 lead. It marked the Chiefs' sixth double of the game, only the third time this season Peoria tallied six or more extra-base hits in a contest.

In the eighth inning, Peoria extended the lead. With two on and one out, Adkison singled to right field, but Deniel Ortiz was thrown out at the plate by Gonzalez. The Chiefs still pushed across runs as Petrutz followed by lining an RBI single to center to make it 5-3, and the next hitter, Anyelo Encarnacion singled to left field that scored two more on a throwing error, stretching the lead to 7-3.

Chiefs left-handed starter Mason Molina, made his second start since being acquired in the trade that sent Phil Maton to the Texas Rangers, worked 3 2/3 innings, allowing two runs, and striking out two.

In the early going, trailing 1-0, Peoria scratched across two runs in the third inning. Back-to-back doubles with one out from Travis Honeyman and Andrew Sojka tied the game at one. After a popout and a walk, Encarnacion singled to bring home Sojka, giving the Chiefs a 2-1 lead. It was Sojka's first appearance in the Cardinals organization after being signed out of independent baseball on Tuesday.

Lake County tied the game in the bottom of the third inning and took the lead in the fifth inning with an RBI groundout from Benjamin, making it 3-2. From there, Peoria's bullpen duo of Tanner Jacobson and Benjamin Arias retired ten straight before the Captains' decisive rally in the ninth.

Game three of the series is set for Thursday, with right-hander Chen-Wei Lin listed as the starter for Peoria. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. EDT / 6:05 p.m. CDT.

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Midwest League Stories from August 13, 2025


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