MWL1 Peoria Chiefs

Late Runs, Great Defense Lead Chiefs to Monday Win

Published on June 28, 2010 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Peoria Chiefs News Release


Burlington, IA - The Peoria Chiefs used a pair of late runs and spectacular plays by Hak-Ju Lee to defeat the Burlington Bees 3-1 Monday night in Iowa. With the win the Chiefs clinch the season series against the Bees and move to 2-2 on the half, 40-33 overall.

The Chiefs took advantage of a pair of walk by Bees' starter Nick Wooley to take a first inning lead. Lee drew a full-count walk and stole second before Matt Cerda walked. With Greg Rohan at the plate, Lee and Cerda attempted a double steal but Cerda was caught between first and second as Lee moved to third. Rohan put the Chiefs up 1-0 with a RBI groundout to shortstop to score Lee for his team leading 46th RBI of the season.

Jeffry Antigua kept the Bees hitless through three innings before Gerard Hall singled to left to start the fourth. JD Alfaro sacrificed Hall to second and Wil Myers tied the game 1-1 with a single to center, his Bees-leading 45th RBI of the season. Antigua struck out the clean-up hitter Joey Lewis and got a great defensive play by Lee at shortstop to get out of the inning with the game tied.

The Chiefs left a runner at second in the sixth and had first and second with no outs against Wooley in the seventh but didn't score. Scott Kelly relieved Wooley in the eighth and walked newcomer Luis Flores to start the frame. Flores was erased at second on a fielders' choice with Lee safe at first. Lee promptly stole second and scored on a single by Cerda for a 2-1 Chiefs lead.

Peoria added a crucial insurance run in the top of the ninth against lefty Ryan Dennick. With one down, Jae-Hoon Ha hit a towering home run just inside the fair pole down the right-field line and over the 20-foot-high wall. The homer, his second of the season, put the Chiefs up 3-1 heading into the bottom of the ninth.

Frank Batista relieved Ronny Morla for the bottom of the ninth and walked Hall with one out. Alfaro struck out to bring Myers to the plate as the tying run. The Bees' DH lifted a flare into shallow center with Hall digging for third and it appeared Ha would not get there from his center field position. But out of nowhere, Lee came flying in from shortstop to make an over-the-shoulder, back-to-the-infield catch to end the game.

Antigua turned in his second quality start of the season with six innings of one-run, three-hit ball. He walked one and struck out four. Morla (2-2) earned the win with two hitless innings, a walk and two strikeouts. Batista walked one and struck out one in the ninth to pick up his second save of the half and season.

Casey's General Store Player of the Game - Jeff Antigua (LHP) - Antigua retired the first eight batters he faced and allowed just one run on three hits over six innings. He also picked off a runner and struck out four despite not earning a decision. Notes...The Chiefs are 26-5 when scoring first this season...The three outfielders, DJ Fitzgerald, Jae-Hoon Ha and Nelson Perez recorded one out the entire game as Fitzgerald caught a flyout for the second out in the first inning...Perez never even touched the ball the entire game in right with both outfield hits for the Bees going to center...Flores threw out one would-be base stealer while Antigua picked off one from first as well...Ha had two hits, his ninth multi-hit game in just 20 appearances for the Chiefs...Lee stole two bases and has 20 on the season...Eight of those are against Burlington...The Chiefs are 6-2 in Burlington this season and 9-2 overall against the Bees with five matchups left...It is the first series clinched either way against a team from the Western Division this season...Burlington is 0-4 on the half and 2-14 in their last 16 games...Peoria has outscored Burlington 65-34 on the season...The series continues Tuesday in Burlington at 6:30 p.m...The Chiefs will pitch RH Nick Struck (2-7, 4.33) against Bees RH Dusty Odenbach (2-5, 5.80)...The broadcast can be heard starting with the pregame show at 6:15 p.m. on 96.5 ESPN and www.peoriachiefs.com.

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Midwest League Stories from June 28, 2010


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