By WJBC Staff
PEORIA – The Peoria Chiefs gave up six unearned runs in the first four innings and ultimately fell 8-5 to the Beloit Snappers on Sunday night. The loss drops the Chiefs to 19-17 on the season as they prepare to play five games in four days against the Cedar Rapids Kernels.
The Snappers scored first as they got to Chiefs starter Luis Perdomo in the top of the first. James Harris led off and was hit by a pitch. Trent Gilbert singled and Harris advanced to second. Both runners moved up 90 feet when Yairo Munoz grounded out to Perdomo. Joe Bennie reached first on a fielder’s choice and Harris scored when Danny Diekroeger’s throw home was off target. Two batters later Robert Martinez doubled to left to drive in Gilbert and Bennie for the 3-0 Beloit lead.
The Chiefs got on the board in the second against Beloit starter Brett Graves. Collin Radack led off with a double to right center and went to third on a Nick Thompson fly out. Justin Ringo walked and Alex DeLeon lined a single to center to drive in Radack and make it 3-1.
The Chiefs got another run in the bottom of the third. Magneuris Sierra reached first with a one-out infield single. He stole second and moved to third on a throwing error by Snappers catcher Jose Chavez. Sierra came home on a sacrifice fly by Oscar Mercado to make the score 3-2.
The Snappers added to their lead in the top of the fourth. Martinez led off and struck out but went to first on a wild pitch. Shawn Duinkerk reached on an error by Perdomo and after back-to-back outs Harris walked to load the bases. Gilbert unloaded the bases with a three-run double down the right field line to make it 6-2 Snappers.
The Chiefs chipped into the Beloit lead in the bottom of the fourth. With one out Ringo walked and DeLeon doubled, advancing Ringo to third. Luis Cruz grounded out to first base to score Ringo and make it 6-3.
Beloit added a run to their lead in the sixth against new Chiefs hurler Tyler Bray. Duinkerk led off with an infield single and moved to second on
a groundout. He advanced to third when Edwin Diaz singled to right. Duinkerk came home to score when Harris singled to left to make it 7-3 Snappers.
The Snappers added another run to their lead in the top of the seventh. Bennie reached on an infield single to shortstop. He stole second and went to third on a Martinez single. Duinkerk lifted a sacrifice fly to left to drive in Bennie and give the Snappers the 8-3 lead.
The Chiefs got back on the board in their half of the seventh. Andrew Sohn led off with a walk and was retired when Mercado reached on a fielder’s choice. Diekroeger singled to center and Radack reached on an error to load the bases. Nick Thompson was hit by a pitch from Snappers lefty Jerad Grundy and Mercado scored to make it 8-4. Justin Ringo greeted new Beloit pitcher Rob Huber by walking to drive in Diekroeger and make it 8-5. Huber got the snappers out of the inning by striking out DeLeon to strand the bases loaded and the tying run at first.
Perdomo (1-3) went five innings and allowed six unearned runs on four hits and two walks, striking out eight. Bray worked two innings and yielded two runs on five hits without walking or striking out a batter. Kevin Alexander pitched the final two innings for Peoria, he allowed no runs on one hit, walking one and striking out three.
