By WJBC Staff
PEORIA – The Peoria Chiefs played from behind all night but couldn’t overcome a three-run first inning as they lost 3-2 to close out an eight-game home stand against the Cedar Rapids Kernels on Thursday night. The Chiefs are now 21-20 on the season and will play a four game series at Quad Cities starting Friday.
The Kernels opened the scoring in the top of the first against Chiefs righty Matt Pearce. Tanner English and Blake Schmit reached base on back-to-back walks. Two batters later Max Murphy walked to load the bases and English scored on a sacrifice fly from Zack Larson to make it 1-0. T.J. White tripled past a diving Collin Radack to drive in Schmit and Murphy for the 3-0 Kernels lead.
The Chiefs got on the board against Kernels starter Felix Jorge in the bottom of the second. Alex DeLeon came up with two outs and blasted a solo home run over the left field wall to make it 3-1. The home run is DeLeon’s second of the season and gives him 11 RBI so far this year.
The Chiefs got another run back in the bottom of the fourth. Danny Diekroeger led off with a double deep to left and moved to third on a groundout by Radack. Diekroeger scored on a hard-hit groundout by Steve Bean to make the score 3-2.
The Chiefs left the tying run at second in the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings. The game ended with pinch runner Oscar Mercado caught stealing second.
Pearce (3-3) started and took the loss for the Chiefs, going 5 1/3 innings and allowing three runs on two hits and four walks, striking out three. Kender Villegas made his Chiefs debut and went 2 1/3 innings of shutout ball, allowing one hit and striking out three. Jhonny Polanco pitched 1 1/3 hitless innings of relief for Peoria, walking one and striking out one.
