By WJBC Staff
CEDAR RAPIDS, Ia – The Peoria Chiefs left 10 runners on base and lost two more on the basepaths in a 3-1 loss to the Cedar Rapids Kernels Monday night. The loss drops the Chiefs to 16-15 on the season with three games left in the series.
Cedar Rapids jumped out to an early lead in the bottom of the first against Luis Perdomo. The Twins 2014 first round pick Nick Gordon singled and Trey Vavra followed with a single to put runners on the corners. Bradley University product Max Murphy singled to center to bring home Gordon for the 1-0 Kernels lead.
The Chiefs loaded the bases in the top of the third against Jared Wilson as Blake Drake singled, Danny Diekroeger singled and Darren Seferina walked. However the Chiefs couldn’t cash in as Oscar Mercado popped up foul to the catcher, Justin Ringo struck out and Nick Thompson flew out to deep left.
Cedar Rapids doubled their lead in the fourth when JJ Fernandez hit his first home run of the season off the center field batters eye for a 2-0 lead. In the top of the fifth Seferina hit a line drive to left that Murphy dove for and missed. The ball rolled all the way to the wall and Seferina sprinted for an inside the park home run but Murphy recovered and the relay throw to the plate was perfect to get Seferina for the second out.
The Chiefs finally got on the board in the sixth but again left runners on. Magneuris Sierra singled against reliever Randy LeBlanc and Collin Radack followed with a single. Steve Bean singled to right to score Sierra and cut the deficit to 2-1. Drake hit a sharp grounder to third that looked to tie the game but third baseman TJ White turned in a spectacular double play to end the inning.
The Chiefs loaded the bases on a pair of two-out walks and a hit batter in the seventh but again didn’t score. Cedar Rapids put the game out of reach in the bottom of the inning when Vavra doubled home Gordon for a 3-1 lead.
Perdomo (1-2) took the loss allowing two runs on seven hits and three walks over five innings while striking out two. Kevin Alexander allowed one run on two hits and a walk over two innings while striking out one. Blake McKnight threw a hitless eighth inning while walking one.
