Chiefs sweep Loons with walkoff

Posted on July 19, 2016

By WJBC Staff

PEORIA – The Peoria Chiefs tied the game in the eighth inning and won the game 4-3 with a single in the 11^th inning to sweep the Great Lakes Loons on Monday afternoon. The win moves the Chiefs to 14-11 in the second half and 54-41 overall as they head on a nine-game, 11-day road trip.

Trailing 3-2 into the eighth inning the Chiefs tied the game as Magneuris Sierra singled home Bladimil Franco with one out. But Craig Aikin bounced into a double play to end the game into the ninth tied 3-3. Neither team scored in the ninth or 10^th innings before the Chiefs threatened in the 11^th. Sierra led off with a single against Brian Bass and Aikin flew out. Eli Alvarez doubled over the head of Darien Tubbs but Sierra was held at third as the throw to the infield got away. With the infield in, Brian O’Keefe lined a walk-off single to right-center to score Sierra for a 4-3 Chiefs win.

Great Lakes built a 3-0 lead against Chiefs starter Brennan Leitao. In the top of the first Will Smith walked with two outs and moved to third on a single by Erik Meza. Omar Estevez singled for a 1-0 lead before Leitao got out of the inning. In the fourth, Noah Piero singled and Logan Landon clobbered a two-run home run into the left field berm for a 3-0 Loons lead.

The Chiefs did not score against Great Lakes starter Wes Helsabeck and they managed just one hit over the first five innings. With one on and one out in the sixth, Dylan Tice singled off reliever Dennis Santana and Tubbs booted the ball in right field allowing Bladimil Franco to score. Tice ended up at third on the play and scored on a single by Sierra to cut the Loons lead to 3-2 and set the stage for the late-inning comeback.

Leitao allowed three runs on six hits and two walks over five innings while striking out four in the no-decision. Steven Gallardo walked one and struck out one in a shutout inning. Josh Wirsu walked one in a shutout inning in his debut. Steven De La Cruz allowed one hit and struck out one in a scoreless inning. Nick Frey (3-2) earned the win as he allowed two hits over three shutout innings.

Blogs

Labor Day – Expanding voting rights for all

By Mike Matejka Because of COVID, there is no Labor Day Parade this year. It’s always a great event for our everyday workers to march proudly down the street and enjoys the festive crowd. If there had been a parade, this year’s Labor Day theme was to be “150 years of struggle: your right to vote.” …

Is federal mobilization the answer?

By Mike Matejka As President Donald Trump threatens to send federal marshals into Chicago, over the objections of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, recall another Illinois Governor who protested the incursion of armed federal personnel into the city. Those federal troops, rather than calming, escalated the situation, leading to deaths and violence. Illinois poet Vachel Lindsay…

In these troubled times, to my fellow white Americans

By Mike Matejka Our nation is at a unique watershed in human relations. African-Americans have been killed too many times in the past before George Floyd, but the response to this man’s death is international and all-encompassing. I was a grade-schooler during the Civil Rights 1960s. I watched Birmingham demonstrators hosed and the Selma – Montgomery…

Workers’ Memorial Day – Remember those whose job took their life

Looking around our community, when we say employer, most will respond to State Farm, Country, or Illinois State University. We too often forget those who are building our roads, serving our food, or our public employees. COVID-19 has made us more aware of the risk. Going to work every day for some people means…