MWL1 Peoria Chiefs

Chiefs Rally for 15-6 Win Sunday

Published on June 28, 2009 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Peoria Chiefs News Release


Grand Chute, WI - The Peoria Chiefs needed a nine-run eighth inning to avoid their 11th straight road loss and they picked up their first win of the half, 15-6 over the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers on Sunday afternoon. The win ends an overall four-game slide and moves the Chiefs to 1-3 on the second half heading into Monday's off day.

Trailing 6-5 in the eighth, the Chiefs pulled off a rare rally to take the lead. Mario Mercedes popped one into right to start the frame and reached second with a double when Michael Vass fell down. Jose Made ran for Mercedes and moved to third on a balk by Rattlers reliever Rigoberto Almonte. Drew Rundle tied the game with a single to left. Josh Harrison hit a flare to right for a single and both runners moved up 90 feet on a throwing error by Vass. Rundle scored for a 7-6 lead on a fielders' choice off the bat of David Macias as Brett Lawrie threw home late. Josh Vitters drove home Harrison for an 8-6 Chiefs lead and Kyler Burke was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Macias and Vitters both scored on a throwing error by Brock Kjeldgaard at first base before Rebel Ridling doubled home Burke for an 11-6 lead. Nelson Perez singled home two more and Rundle picked up his second hit of the inning. Harrison capped the inning with a sac fly to right for a 14-6 Chiefs lead. Overall the Chiefs sent 13 batters to the plate as the first nine all reached and scored on seven hits and two errors. The Chiefs added a run in the ninth on another Ridling double for the 15-6 win.

For the third game in a row the Chiefs jumped out to an early lead as they put two on the board against Trey Watten in the third inning. Rundle led off with a double and was sacrificed to third by Harrison. Macias put Peoria up 1-0 with a single to right and he moved to second on a single by Vitters. Both runners moved up on a wild pitch and Macias scored on a Burke sacrifice fly for a 2-0 Chiefs lead.

Down 2-1 in the fourth, Wisconsin tied the game when Kjeldgaard homered to left off Chiefs starter Aaron Shafer. Peoria regained the lead in the fifth against Watten. Harrison was hit by a pitch and sacrificed to second by Macias. With two down Burke walked and Flaherty singled Harrison home for a 3-2 lead. The Chiefs scored again in the sixth when Jose Duran dropped a pop up off the bat of Macias allowing Rundle to score from second for a 4-2 Chiefs lead.

Lawrie led off the Rattlers sixth with a double off Shafer. Corey Kemp and John Delaney worked back-to-back walks to load the bases and Jeff Beliveau relieved Shafer with nobody out. Beliveau walked Kjeldgaard to force in a run before striking out Duran and Vass. Derrick McPhearson, a former wide receiver at the University of Illinois, tied the game when he walked to force in Kemp. Juan Sanchez gave Wisconsin their only lead of the day with a two-run single to center for a 6-4 advantage.

Shafer got a no-decision allowing five runs on six hits over five plus innings of work. He walked two, hit one and struck out two. Beliveau (2-2) was charged with a blown save when he allowed three inherited runners to score in the sixth but then picked up the win as the Chiefs rallied in the eighth. Overall he allowed two hits and one run of his own over four innings. The lefty walked two and tied his season high with eight strikeouts.

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Midwest League Stories from June 28, 2009


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