MWL1 Peoria Chiefs

Chiefs Win Season Finale, Beat Kernels 5-2

Published on September 3, 2007 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Peoria Chiefs News Release


Peoria, IL- The Peoria Chiefs finished their season off with a 5-2 win over the visiting Cedar Rapids Kernels at O'Brien Field on Monday afternoon. The win gives the Chiefs a 71-68 record overall and 40-30 in the second half. The win also gives the Chiefs a share of the Western Division crown with Quad Cities and Cedar Rapids.

Peoria jumped out to a first inning lead for the second time in the series. Leon Johnson doubled off the glove of the left fielder and quickly stole third base. Darwin Barney grounded out to third and Johnson scored to make it 1-0.

. The Kernels tied the game in the third inning after Anderson Rosario reached on throwing error by Marquez Smith at third base. Rosario ended up on second base after the error and stole third. Stantrel Smith flew out to center field to score Rosario and tie the game 1-1.

The Chiefs took the lead back in the fifth inning thanks to the long ball. Barney homered to left on a 3-0 pitch off Amalio Diaz to give the Chiefs a 2-1 lead. The offense continued to surge with two outs. Jim Adduci and Blake Lalli picked up back-to-back singles and Russ Canzler drove in a run with a single to center to extend the Chiefs lead to 3-1.

Cedar Rapids got a run closer in the sixth inning against Hernandez. P.J. Phillips tripled to the gap in right center to start the inning. Peter Bourjos followed two batters later with a double that scored Phillips to make it 3-2. After Wil Ortiz flew out to right, Jose Ceda relieved Hernandez and struck out Tyler Johnson looking to end the frame and leave the tying run at second base.

Peoria answered the run in the top of the inning with two of their own in the bottom half. Matt Canepa got things started with a base hit and Marquez Smith got the second straight hit off Diaz to put two on with no outs. Leon Johnson lined a single into center field to score Canepa and Smith and make it a 5-2 game and end the day for Diaz.

Hernandez picked up his eighth win of the season with 5 2/3 innings of work. He allowed two runs on three hits while striking out six and he did not walk a batter. Jose Ceda pitched 2 1/3 innings and struck out six of the seven batters he faced while walking one. Alex Maestri worked the ninth inning and allowed a double but struck out the next three batters for his 12th save of the season.

Gorman's Pub Player of the Game

Darwin Barney (SS)- Barney finished the game 2-for-4 with a run scored. He also drove in a pair of runs and hit his second professional home run.

Notes... The attendance of 3,800 helped the Chiefs set a franchise record for attendance in a season with 259,784 fans at O'Brien Field....Adduci extended his hitting streak to a season high ten games...The 40 wins was the seventh time the Chiefs have had a 40 win half in franchise history...The division title is the fifth time Peoria has won or shared a divisional championship...Maestri finished the season with a team high 12 saves... Ceda did not allow a hit in his final 25 innings pitched this season between Peoria and Mesa

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Midwest League Stories from September 3, 2007


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