Chiefs Fall in See-Saw Slugfest
May 26, 2023 - Midwest League (MWL)
Peoria Chiefs News Release
Peoria, IL- Nine runs was not enough for the Chiefs on Friday, as Peoria fell to the Great Lakes Loons 11-9. The loss puts the Chiefs under .500 for the first time since May 3.
The back-and-forth battle which saw a combined 27 hits was knotted at nine heading into the ninth inning as Leonardo Taveras took the mound. He hit Taylor Young to start the inning. Alex Freeland followed with a triple to give Great Lakes a 10-9 lead. Two pitches later, Ismael Alcantara made it 11-9 with a single.
The Loons notched a season-high 15 hits in the win. Five players turned in multi-hit performances.
While the Loons outhit the Chiefs 15-12, it was the Peoria offense started strong right out of the gate. Victor Scott singled to lead off the first inning against Great Lakes starter Jerming Rosario. After a SAC bunt and a ground out moved Scott to third, a wild pitch brought him home to start the scoring.
The Chiefs added two more in the second to make it 3-0. A single and two walks loaded the bases. Scott and Darlin Moquete knocked back-to-back RBI singles.
Scott led the Chiefs with three hits on the night going 3-for-6.
Rosario's night ended after just 1.2 innings, allowing the three runs on three hits with two walks and two strikeouts.
Great Lakes cut the Peoria lead to 3-1 against Chiefs starter Alex Cornwell. Luis Diaz singled with one out. After a popout, Yeiner Fernandez singled to put runners on the corners for Dalton Rushing, who singled home Diaz.
Peoria had an answer with two more runs in the third. Jeremy Rivas led off with a single against Christian Suarez, after two strikeouts, Ramon Mendoza launched a two-run home run into left center to make it 5-1.
But the Loons made a loud response in the fourth off Cornwell. Ismael Alcantara and Jake Vogel hit back-to-back singles to kick things off. After a strikeout, Diaz singled in Alcantara to make it 5-2. The next batter was Austin Gauthier, who hit a three-run home run to tie the game at five.
Diaz had a game-high four hits going 4-for-5. Alcantara added the the Loons hit total with a 3-for-5 performance.
Great Lakes added another in the next inning. Rushing led off with a double and moved to third after a flyout. Two batters later, Alcantara chopped a grounder to third under the glove of Osvaldo Tovalin, to make it 6-5.
Cornwell allowed a season-high nine hits over five innings of work, allowing six runs, striking out five.
Great Lakes put up another crooked number in the sixth against Gustavo Rodriguez. Diaz singled to lead it off and scored on a Gauthier double. One pitch later, Fernandez hit one over the left field wall for a two-run shot to make it 9-5.
Gauthier drove in four runs, going 2-for-5. The top three in the Great Lakes order went a combined 6-for-15 driving home eight runs.
The Chiefs began their climb back into the contest in the sixth. A single and two walks loaded the bases with no outs against Franklin De La Paz. After a flyout, Jimmy Crooks drove in two runs with a single to cut the deficit to 9-7.
Peoria would load the bases again in the eighth. It was Crooks in the spotlight again, this time rolling one to second base, where an out was made at second but the throw to get Crooks got by the first baseman Rushing, which tied the game at nine.
Crooks went 2-for-4, tying a season high with three runs batted in.
Aldry Acosta, who inherited the bases loaded jam in the bottom of the eighth got the win, finishing the eighth and throwing a 1-2-3 ninth.
While Peoria did score nine runs, they left 10 on base including three in the second and two in the fifth and sixth.
Along with Crooks, Moquete had himself a two-hit night as three Chiefs had multi-hit performances.
The Chiefs fall to 21-22, while the Loons improve to 28-15. Game five of the series is set for tomorrow at 6:35 P.M.
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Midwest League Stories from May 26, 2023
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