First Inning Stands Tall in Peoria's 6-3 Win
BELOIT, WI– The Peoria Chiefs did all of their damage in the first inning in a 6-3 triumph over the Beloit Sky Carp Saturday afternoon. The Chiefs sent 10 men to the plate in the opening inning and scored six runs. Peoria loaded the bases with one out in the
BELOIT, WI– The Peoria Chiefs did all of their damage in the first inning in a 6-3 triumph over the Beloit Sky Carp Saturday afternoon.
The Chiefs sent 10 men to the plate in the opening inning and scored six runs. Peoria loaded the bases with one out in the first on a single, a walk and a Beloit error. With the pillows full, Leonardo Bernal was hit by a pitch to bring in a run. Then, with two outs in the frame, a bases loaded balk by Beloit starter Ike Buxton made it 2-0. Later in the frame, it was Brody Moore who delivered the big blow. Moore cleared the bases with a three-run double to give the Chiefs a 5-0 bulge. A William Sullivan RBI single capped off the six-run frame and chased Buxton from the contest after recording only two outs.
Beloit tried to respond immediately as they loaded the bases with no one out in the bottom of the first inning. Chiefs starter Brycen Mautz responded with three straight strikeouts to end the inning and keep the Sky Carp off the board.
The home team did break through in the third inning. A two-run double by Torin Montgomery cut the Peoria lead to 6-2. Mautz turned in a scoreless fourth inning before departing the ballgame He punched out six batters.
In the fifth, Dionys Rodriguez entered the fray. The right-hander faced the minimum in his first inning of work, dialing up a key double play.
Rodriguez’s lone blemish came in the bottom of the sixth when Johnny Olmstead took him deep for a solo home run, making it a 6-3 affair.
Rodriguez whiffed a pair of Sky Carp batters in the bottom of the seventh to end his day. He punched out four batters in three innings to secure the win, his first of the year.
The Peoria offense struggled the rest of the day, but the early outburst was more than enough. Following the first inning, the Chiefs recorded just two hits the rest of the way.
Nathanael Heredia recorded the final six outs to earn the save Saturday. He whiffed Jake Thompson, who represented the tying run, to end the ballgame.
The Chiefs will look for their fourth consecutive win Sunday as they search for a series win. Cooper Hjerpe is the scheduled starter for Peoria. First pitch is set for 1:05 p.m.