Chiefs Late Rally Comes up Short Sunday
July 10, 2022 - Midwest League (MWL)
Peoria Chiefs News Release
PEORIA, IL - The Chiefs attempted to salvage the series on Sunday afternoon, but a late burst offensively left them just short of an electric come-from-behind win, dropping the finale to the Beloit Sky Carp, 6-5.
After a scoreless first inning, Beloit began the scoring with a two-run blast from Will Banfield, his second in as many nights, to make it 2-0 Sky Carp. An inning later, the visitors added another tally courtesy of a balk called against Wilfredo Pereira that pushed the Beloit edge to 3-0.
The squads traded zeroes through the middle innings until the seventh when Beloit struck again, plating their fourth run of the afternoon. With men on the corners, Nasim Nunez attempted to steal second base. Peoria catcher Luis Rodriguez then made a throw to try and cut down the runner, but the ball sailed wide of the bag and into center field that allowed Jose Salas to come home.
With the score 4-0 and things looking bleak, the Chiefs offense finally popped the cork and got things rolling. Francisco Hernandez worked a one-out free pass, and Noah Mendlinger was then called upon to make a pinch-hit appearance and was plunked on the first pitch he saw. Following that, Luis Rodriguez dug in and poked a single down the right field line that scored Hernandez and put the Chiefs on the board to make it a 4-1 ballgame. Tommy Jew later lifted a sac fly to center that brought home a second Peoria run, making it a 4-2 contest through seven innings.
In the visitors half of the eighth, Will Banfield recorded a sac fly of his own to push Beloit in front 5-2, but Peoria was just getting started at the dish. After being silenced for most of the day, Peoria continued their late push when LJ Jones came up following a leadoff walk and tattooed a ball to left field for his sixth home run of the year that brought the Chiefs to within a run. After two quick outs following the homer, Noah Mendlinger got his second look at the plate and smacked a no-doubter to right field to knot the score at five all. For Mendlinger, it was his first professional home run.
With the game tied, the Chiefs summoned Nick Trogrlic-Iverson from the bullpen to try and keep the game deadlocked. Nasim Nunez cracked a one out single and then stole second base with ease. While aboard at second, Nunez danced well down the base line and Trogrlic-Iverson wheeled around in an attempt to pick him off. The throw had appeared to beat Nunez to the bag by a sizeable margin, but he was ruled safe. On the next pitch, Ynmanol Marinez promptly sent a sharp liner to shallow center field that wiggled out of a diving Tommy Jew's glove and gave Beloit a 6-5 lead they did not relinquish.
The victory gave Beloit a 4-2 series triumph, improving them to 39-41 overall, while the Chiefs dropped to 33-48 and 5-10 in the latter half of the campaign. Peoria will enjoy the league-wide off day tomorrow before welcoming in the South Bend Cubs for a week-long set. First pitch for the series opener on Tuesday is scheduled for 6:35.
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