By WJBC Staff
CLINTON – The Peoria Chiefs won a wild series finale 12-10 Wednesday night in a game that featured five blown leads, two ties, 22 runs, 30 hits, 13 extra-base hits, five errors and four wild pitches. The victory over the Clinton LumberKings moves the Chiefs to 3-4 in the second half and 36-39 overall with two games left on the roadtrip in Quad Cities.
Clinton jumped out to an early lead in the bottom of the first against Chiefs starter Jack Flaherty. Arby Fields drew a leadoff four-pitch walk and moved to second on a balk. Chris Mariscal singled to put runners on the corners and Clinton took a 1-0 lead when Chantz Mack singled to right. With one down and runners again on the corners the LumberKings took a 2-0 lead on a groundout by Estarlyn Morales.
The Chiefs tied the game immediately against Clinton starter Tyler Herb. Steve Bean singled to right and moved to second on a groundout. With two outs Andrew Sohn singled home Bean to get the Chiefs on the board and he advanced to second on the throw home from left field. Jhohan Acevedo’s first RBI in a Chiefs uniform tied the game as he singled to right and advanced to second on a throwing error by Morales. With the game tied 2-2 Acevedo moved to third on a wild pitch but was left on base as Darren Seferina grounded out.
Clinton took advantage of a Chiefs error to take a three-run lead in the third inning. Mack led off with a double to right and Pat Leyland reached second after striking out as Bean’s throw to first sailed down the right-field line. Morales singled home Mack but was thrown out trying to advance to second on the play. Clinton added two more runs as Joe DeCarlo and Kristian Brito doubled to left for a 5-2 lead.
Again the Chiefs came right back to get even against Herb in the fourth. Bean singled with one out and went to third on a double by Ronald Castillo. Bean scored on a wild pitch and Castillo scored when the throw from third base on a grounder hit him in the back and rolled to the Chiefs dugout. With Sohn at second base after the error, Acevedo tied the game 5-5 with a single to right for his second RBI of the game. Acevedo stole second as Seferina struck out and he scored to put the Chiefs on top 6-5 as Nick Thompson singled to left field.
Still leading 6-5 the Chiefs left runners on the corners in the top of the sixth against reliever Osmer Morales. Clinton took advantage in the bottom of the inning as Kristian Brito lined a solo home run just inside the left-field foul pole with one out to tie the game.
The Chiefs regained the lead in the seventh against new pitcher Thyago Vieira. With two outs Bean singled to right, his third hit of the game. Castillo launched a double off the wall in right-center for his second double of the game as Bean scored from first to put the Chiefs on top 7-6.
The game see-sawed back to the hosts in the bottom of the seventh as they rallied against reliever Nick Lomascolo. Mack led off with a double and moved to third on a wild pitch. After Leyland walked, Mack scored on another wild pitch to tie the game. Leyland moved to third on a deep flyout to center and scored the go-ahead run on a single by Wayne Taylor.
Once again no lead was safe as the LumberKings coughed up the 8-7 lead in the eighth. Acevedo singled to right, his third hit of the game, and advanced to second on a single by Seferina. Thompson singled to left and Mack booted the ball for an error as both Acevedo and Seferina scored for a 9-8 Chiefs lead. Mercado walked and Ronald Dominguez replaced Vieira on the hill with two on and nobody out. Luis Cruz drove a flyball to left that appeared to leave the park and bounce back into left field off the berm, however it was ruled in-play and Cruz settled for a two-run triple and an 11-8 Chiefs lead.
Peoria added a 12th run in the ninth as Seferina doubled with two outs and scored on a single by Thompson. In the bottom of the ninth Clinton rallied against Robby Rowland with doubles from Mariscal and Morales to close the gap to 12-9. An error by Sohn at third base brought home Morales for a 12-10 game and Taylor reached on an infield single to put the tying run on base. Rowland got Brito to flyout to centerfield to end the game.
Flaherty allowed six runs, four earned, on eight hits over 5 2/3 innings. The righthander tied a career high with six strikeouts while walking one and hitting a batter. Lomascolo allowed two runs on two hits, two walks and two wild pitches in one inning of work. Rowland (2-2) picked up the win allowing two runs, one earned, on three hits over 2 1/3 innings.
