Chiefs Mash Three Homers, Come Up Short in Slugfest

Midland, MI - The Peoria Chiefs smashed three home runs and outhit the Great Lakes Loons but fell in a high-scoring affair Friday, 11-8. After winning six in a row against Great Lakes, the Loons have now taken three straight from the Chiefs.

For the second night in a row, the Loons broke through in the opening frame. Great Lakes placed runners at first and third with one out in the inning when an RBI fielder’s choice plated a run to make it a 1-0 game. Peoria Austin Love worked out of the inning with a fly out.

In the second, the Loons scored five times, all with two outs, to create some early separation. After a two-out triple, a Jorbit Vivas single made it a 2-0 score. Following a walk to Diego Cartaya, Imanol Vargas stepped in with the bases loaded. The Loons DH lifted a grand slam over the wall to right and the lead exploded to 6-0.

Peoria wasted no time cutting into the deficit. Following a fielding error that allowed the lead-off batter to reach, the Chiefs made Great Lakes starter Carlos Duran pay. The next batter, Mack Chambers, connected on a two-run homer to cut the deficit to 6-2. After a Todd Lott double, Jacob Buchberger mashed a two-run shot of his own to make it a 6-4 game.

The Chiefs got one closer in the fourth and again cashed in on a Loons error. With Patrick Romeri on first, Chambers hit a ground ball right through the wickets of Great Lakes first baseman Max Hewitt. With runners on the corners, a check swing single off the bat of Lott pulled the Chiefs within a run, 6-5.

Starter Austin Love worked a quick and clean third innings but a high pitch count forced his exit from the contest. He turned the ball over to Levi Prater who battled Cartaya in a long AB before the Dodgers top prospect went yard to give the Loons a 8-5 cushion.

Again, the Chiefs wasted no time cutting the deficit. Osvaldo Tovalin led off the inning with a booming home run to right to make it an 8-6 ballgame. Then, following a single and a walk, a Tyler Reichenborn sac bunt moved runners to second and third with just one out. A Romeri sac fly pushed LJ Jones across the plate and the Chiefs were again within a run, 8-7.

However, that was as close as the Chiefs would get. In the bottom of the fifth, a three-run blast from Luis Diaz made it 11-7.

The scoring slowed down late in the contest. Chris Roycroft entered in relief of Prater and recorded seven outs to keep his August scoreless streak intact. Jack Ralston later punched out the side in the Loons eighth.

Trailing four in the ninth, the Chiefs scratched a run on a two-out double from Tyler Reichenborn. The outfielder’s third reach of the night brought the Chiefs within 11-8 but the visitors could not get the tying run beyond the on deck circle.

The series continues Saturday from Midland, Michigan.