Chiefs Snap Skid Behind Harris' Mad Dash

BELOIT, WI– The Peoria Chiefs saw their seven-game losing streak go by the wayside Thursday with a 4-3 triumph over the Beloit Sky Carp.

With the game tied in the eighth inning, Dakota Harris made something happen with his legs. Stationed at first base, Harris took off for second as part of a hit and run. After Leonardo Bernal grounded to the left side, Harris rounded second and raced towards a vacated third base. A high throw from Beloit first baseman Torrin Montgomery allowed Harris to score the eventual winning run all the way from first.

From there, Benito Garcia locked it down the rest of the way, recording a six-out save. For Garcia, it was his first as a Chief, and his first as a member of the Cardinals organization.

Peoria jumped out to an early lead Thursday with a run in the third inning on an Alex Iadisernia sac fly.

Chiefs starter Pete Hansen cruised through four scoreless frames before encountering some trouble in the bottom of the fifth. A lead-off error by shortstop Brody Moore gave the Sky Carp some life. Following a single and a walk, the Sky Carp loaded the bases with one out. A Mark Coley fielder’s choice tied the game at 1-1. Then, Cameron Barstad followed with a solid single into center to give Beloit its first lead, 2-1.

In the sixth, Peoria took the lead right back. With Zach Levenson aboard at second, a Bernal infield hit placed men on the corners. The next batter, Michael Curialle, singled into right to plate Levenson and tie the game, 2-2. Later, an Osvaldo Tovalin single kept the line moving and scored Bernal to make it 3-2.

Hansen returned to the bump for the sixth, in line for his first High-A win. With two outs in the inning, he surrendered a double and a walk to force his exit from the game. Tyler Bradt entered and gave up an RBI hit to Yiddi Cappe, one of his four reaches, to knot the game back up, 3-3.

Harris salvaged an 0-for-3 with his one-out single in the eighth inning and manufactured the game’s winning run. Peoria snapped their seven-game slide and ended a streak of nine consecutive losses in one-run games.

Bradt, who recorded four outs in relief, earned the win. Tyler Eckburg surrendered the unearned tally in the eighth. He was the game’s tough luck loser.

The series continues Friday in Beloit.