By WJBC Staff
The Peoria Chiefs lost three runners on the basepaths early then committed a balk and two late errors en route to a 6-1 loss to the Dayton Dragons Thursday night. The loss drops the Chiefs to 30-16 in the second half and 63-51 on the season.
The Chiefs ran themselves out of two innings against Dayton starter Tyler Mahle. Alex DeLeon drove one off the right-field wall to start the second inning but got caught between first and second for the first out of the inning. With two down in the inning, Derek Gibson doubled to left-center but was stranded at second. Two innings later DeLeon walked and Harrison Bader hit into a double play. Gibson doubled again and Nick Thompson walked to put two on with two outs. Steve Bean worked a full-count but Mahle picked Gibson off second to end the threat.
Dayton took their first lead of the series in the bottom of the sixth against Matt Pearce. After two quick outs, Paul Kronenfeld and Aristedes Aquino both singled to left. Pearce got ahead of Argenis Aldazoro 0-2 before a triple into the right-field corner put the Dragons on top 2-0.
Dayton extended the lead against Cody Schumacher in the seventh. Jimmy Pickens led off with a walk and was balked to second with one out. Shed Long reached on a throwing error by Darren Seferina to put runners on the corners. Luis Gonzalez put Dayton on top 3-0 with a single to right before Schumacher escaped the inning with a flyout and groundout.
The Dragons extended the lead in the eighth against Schumacher. Aldazoro reached on a one-out bunt single and Narciso Crook singled to center. Schumacher’s throw to second on a double play chance sailed into center allowing Aldazoro to score for a 4-0 Dragons lead. Chad Tromp’s single to center scored Crook for a 5-0 lead. Long drove home Pickens for a 6-0 lead and Dixon Llorens took over on the mound for Schumacher. Llorens got a groundout and strikeout to end the inning.
The Chiefs got on the board in the ninth as Paul DeJong reached on an infield single, Deleon walked and Bader was hit by a pitch. DeJong scored on a fielders’ choice off the bat of Gibson to get the Chiefs on the board before a flyout ended the game.
Pearce (8-10) allowed two runs on seven hits over six innings while walking one and striking out four. Schumacher allowed four runs on five hits and a walk over 1 1/3 innings while striking out two. Llorens retired both batters he faced with one strikeout.
