Chiefs Win Home Opener 7-6 on Saturday
April 17, 2010 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Peoria Chiefs News Release
Peoria, IL - The Peoria Chiefs have made it a habit of scoring early this season, and they did no disappoint the 3,874 fans that showed up Saturday for the Chiefs 7-6 victory over the Burlington Bees. The Chiefs have won two games in a row for the first time this season and are now 5-5 for the year.
For the third consecutive game Peoria scored in the first inning after Justin Bour drew a one-out walk from right-hander Nick Wooley with two runners on base. Mario Mercedes then drew a bases loaded walk to drive in the first run of the game. The Chiefs failed to add any more runs in the inning as Wooley struck out Richard Jones for the third out.
The Bees struck back, stinging the Chiefs for five runs in the top of the third inning. Hilton Richardson stepped up with two out in the inning and reached on an error by starting pitcher Su-Min Jung before stealing second base. Gerard Hall doubled to left field, scoring Richardson to tie the game. Wil Myers drew a walk before Joey Lewis doubled to put Burlington up 2-1. Carlo Testa singled and advanced to second on the throw to Mario Mercedes at the plate that failed to get Myers or Lewis, who both scored. The ball squirted away from Mercedes, and Testa took off for third. Mercedes' throw was high and found its way to left field where Richard Jones could not handle it. Testa came around to score on the play, officially ruled as a single and two errors, giving the Bees a 5-1 lead.
Peoria regained the lead in the bottom of the fourth inning, plating six runs in the frame. After reaching on a dropped third strike Jose Valdez stole second base and was driven in by a Hak-Ju Lee single. Logan Watkins reached on a bunt single and Matt Cerda brought in both runners with a triple. Greg Rohan slapped a single down the right field line to score Cerda and tie the game at five. Following a single by Mercedes, Jones hit a long triple to center field that plated Rohan and Mercedes, giving Peoria six runs in the frame and a 7-5 lead.
The Chiefs held that lead going into the sixth inning, but Burlington only needed one pitch to cut the deficit in half as Lewis hit the first offering of the inning from Andres Quezada into the left field berm for a home run. Quezada got through the rest of the sixth and seventh innings without any further damage done, and James Leverton pitched two shutout innings in his Chiefs debut for the save.
Jung (2-0) recorded the victory as he set career highs in innings pitched and strikeouts, with five each. He gave up three hits and five unearned runs while walking four. Quezada allowed one run on three hits over two innings while striking out one. Leverton who joined the team earlier in the day, did not allow a run or a hit while walking one and striking out one in two innings of work.
Casey's General Store Player of the Game - Logan Watkin s (2B) - Watkins collected three hits in five at-bats and scored a pair of runs to raise his average to .310 for the season. He was the only Chiefs player to score more than one run or collect three hits on the afternoon.
Notes The attendance of 3,874 was the third highest for a home opener in the history of O'Brien Field behind 4,277 in 2007 and 4,002 in 2003...Jung set career highs in strikeouts (5) and innings pitched (5.0)...The win gives the Chiefs their first two-game winning streak of the season. James Leverton recorded his first career save by pitching two shutout innings and did not allow a hit. Chiefs scored in the first inning for the third consecutive game. The Chiefs set a season high for triples in a game with two. Six runs in the fourth inning is the most runs scored in a single inning all season. The four-run deficit is the largest overcome by Peoria all season...Sunday is Family FUN in the SUNday as kids 12 and under get a free hot dog and free soda...Kids can run the bases after the game and players will sign autographs...Sunday is also Cartoon Day with appearances by Fred Flintstone and SpongeBob Squarepants...The game is scheduled for 4 o'clock with the Chiefs throwing RH Nick Struck (0-1, 1.80) against Burlington LH John Lamb (0-1, 1.04)...The game can be heard starting with the pre-game show at 3:45 PM on 96.5 ESPN Radio and www.peoriachiefs.com
Midwest League Stories from April 17, 2010
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