Vitters Homers, Offense Carries Chiefs to 10-6 Win
Published on May 18, 2009 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Peoria Chiefs News Release
Vitters Homers, Offense Carries Chiefs to 10-6 Win
Peoria collects 14 hits and never trail against Beloit
Beloit, WI - For the fourth straight night Josh Vitters collected three hits and led the Peoria Chiefs' 14-hit attack in a 10-6 win over the Beloit Snappers Monday night. Vitters homered for the third game in a row as the Chiefs move into a tie for second place at 20-16 on the season.
Both teams came out swinging in the first inning with the wind blowing out to left-center at 20 miles per hour. Josh Harrison singled off Bobby Lanigan to start the first and moved to second on a single to center by Ryan Flaherty. Vitters reached on an infield single to third and Harrison scored the game's first run on an error by Nate Hanson. Kyler Burke made it 2-0 with a single to right and after a sac bunt, Vitters scored on a sac fly by Nelson Perez.
Beloit took advantage of a Chiefs error to tie the game in the first with three unearned runs. James Beresford reached on a one out single and was safe at second when Flaherty botched a double play ball off the bat of Jon Waltenbury. With two down Angel Morales took advantage of the error and tied the game with a three-run homer to left-center. Morales also hit a three-run blast in the first inning on Sunday and now has five homers on the year.
Peoria regained the lead in the second against Lanigan. Cliff Andersen doubled with one out and scored when Harrison doubled to right-center. Vitters made it 5-3 with a double off the base of the wall in left to score Harrison. The Chiefs added another run in the third when Perez slammed his sixth homer of the season into the trees beyond the right field wall.
Beloit pulled two back against Hatley in the third. Beresford walked with one out and moved to third on a single by Waltenbury. Ozzie Lewis made it 6-4 with a single to left and Hatley walked Morales to load the bases. A walk to Ramon Santana forced in a run before Mike Harrington bounced into a double play to end the inning.
Vitters got the two runs back in the top of the fourth with his sixth homer of the season, a two-run shot off Lanigan. The homer gives the Chiefs an 8-5 lead and marks the third homer of the series for Vitters.
A solo homer by Lewis in the bottom of the fifth pulled the Snappers to within two runs at 8-6. The Chiefs scored against reliever Bruce Pugh in the top of the seventh to go up 9-6. Flaherty led off with an infield single, moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on a single by Drew Rundle. Peoria made it 10-6 in the ninth when Burke doubled home Rebel Ridling.
Hatley (3-1) allowed six runs, three earned on six hits over five innings of work. He struck out two and walked a career-high five while allowing two home runs. Kevin Kreier allowed two hits over his two shutout innings. Chris Huseby for his first career save.
Casey's General Store Player of the Game- Josh Vitters (3B) - Vitters picked up his fourth straight three-hit game and homered for the third game in a row. He also doubled, singled and finished 3-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored.
Notes... The opponent has scored in the first inning in six of the last eight games...Vitters has a five game hit streak and four straight three-hit games (12-for-17, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 6 R, 3 2b)...The Chiefs matched a season high with 10 runs (10-6 at Burlington April 30)...Monday was the first time all season that Rebel Ridling did not start at first base...He did collect a pinch hit single in the ninth...Ridling was the last Chiefs player to have started every game this season...Peoria's pinch hitters are 6-for-14 this season...The Chiefs have scored at least eight runs in each of Hatley's last three starts and are 6-1 in his seven starts this season...Hatley's previous career high for walks was three...Harrison recorded his second outfield assist from left field...The top four slots in the Chiefs lineup combined to go 10-for-20 with a home run, three doubles, seven runs scored and six RBI...Burke started at first for the sixth time in his career...Twenty of the Chiefs 28 homers have come on the road...The Chiefs are 15-5 when scoring five or more runs...Harrison is the only Chiefs player to appear in all 36 games though he did not start two contests...Harrison has 16 multi-hit games and Vitters has 14...Harrison leads the league in hits (51)...The four-game series concludes on Tuesday at 6:30 pm as the Chiefs send RH Justin Bristow (0-2, 6.23) to the hill against Beloit RH Brad Tippett (3-0, 2.87)...The game can be heard starting with the pre-game show at 6:15 PM on 96.5 ESPN Radio and www.peoriachiefs.com.
Midwest League Stories from May 18, 2009
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- Vitters Homers, Offense Carries Chiefs to 10-6 Win - Peoria Chiefs
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