Chiefs Mash Season-High 18 Hits in Wild 11-8 Affair

Peoria, IL- A late Peoria rally led the Chiefs to an 11-8 victory over the Beloit Sky Carp Thursday at Dozer Park.

The game was knotted at eight in the bottom of the eighth when Victor Scott hit a one out single. He stole second base, allowing Nathan Church to drive him home with a double to make it 9-8. Two batters later, Jimmy Crooks lifted a fly ball over the left field wall to make it 11-8.

Church had a season-high four hits. Crooks drove in a game-high three runs.

Scott and Church kick-started the offense in the first inning against Beloit starter Cade Gibson. Aaron McKeithan hit a single of his own to score Scott to make it 1-0.

Peoria had a season-high 18 hits. Scott and McKeithan each had three.

Beloit took its only lead of the game in the third inning off Chiefs starter Ian Bedell. Back-to-back home runs by Josh Zamora and Dalvy Rosario gave the Sky Carp a 2-1 edge.

Peoria put together a large response in the bottom half of the frame. Scott and Church hit a pair of one-out singles. After a flyout, Crooks knocked in a run with an infield hit to make it 2-2. Jeremy Rivas then reached on an error, bringing in another run. Osvaldo Tovalin, Ramon Mendoza, and Thomas Francisco all drove in runs with singles, giving Peoria a 7-2 lead.

Beloit chipped away at its deficit adding two runs in the top of the fourth inning on a Jake Thompson two-run double. In the home half of the inning, Church homered to right in the bottom half to make it 8-4.

Gibson gave up eight runs on 12 hits over four innings of work, walking two and striking out two.

Bedell completed five frames for the first time this season, allowing four runs on four hits, walking one and punching out four.

Down four in the seventh, Beloit crept closer scoring three runs against Zane Mills. Tanner Allen drove in a run with a single. Jacob Berry followed two batters later with a two-run double to make it an 8-7 contest.

In the top of the eighth, Beloit tied the game at eight. Two straight singles put runners on the corners. Thompson rolled into a double play which plated a run.

After Peoria took the lead, the Sky Carp threatened in the top of the ninth. They loaded the bases with two outs against Matt Hickey. He was removed for Roy Garcia, who struck out Davis Bradshaw to end the game.

Hickey got the win while Garcia recorded his first career high-A save. The loss was tagged on Josh White, who gave up the three Peoria runs in the eighth.

The Chiefs move up to 25-29 while Beloit drops to 24-29. Game four of the series is Thursday at 6:35 P.M.