By WJBC Staff
PEORIA – The Peoria Chiefs completed the comeback win over the Cedar Rapids Kernels 7-5 on Tuesday afternoon, thanks a Steve Bean grand slam in front of 6,562 fans on Education Day.
The win improves the Chiefs to 21-18 on the season as they look to clinch the series Wednesday.
The Kernels scored first as they got to Chiefs starter Daniel Poncedeleon in the second inning. Zack Larson led off with a double then moved to third on a T.J. White groundout. Larson scored on a passed ball to make it 1-0.
The Chiefs got on the board in the bottom half of the second against Kernels starter John Curtiss. Nick Thompson was hit by a pitch and Justin Ringo followed with a double. Collin Radack plated Thompson on a RBI fielder’s choice to tie the game at one. Blake Drake put the Chiefs on top with a sacrifice fly, which scored Ringo for a 2-1 Chiefs lead.
The Kernels responded in the third with a three-run frame. Pat Kelly singled, Tanner English walked, and Nick Gordon grounded into a force out at second. Trey Vavra hit one that was lost under the outfield wall, allowing everyone to score on the play. Chiefs outfielder Magneuris Sierra picked up the ball once he found it, which allowed Vavra’s three-run, inside-the-park homer to stand for a 4-2 Kernels lead.
The Chiefs came back in the sixth inning. Thompson singled, Ringo walked, and Radack singled to load the bases. Bean cleared the bases with his second homerun of the season, a grandslam, which gave the Chiefs a 6-4 lead.
Cedar Rapids cut the deficit to one in the seventh. Kelly singled, stole second, and scored on a throwing error by Chiefs shortstop Oscar Mercado to make it 6-5. The Chiefs added a run in the eighth as Collin Radack legged out a triple and scored on a wild pitch to make it 7-5.
Poncedeleon (4-0) went six and a third innings and allowed five runs, three earned, on seven hits and three walks, striking out three. Robby Rowland tossed two and two-thirds scoreless innings and struck out five as he secured his eighth save of the season.
