MLN Newswire - www.mlntherawfeed.com-Beloit, WI – Six runs and 12 hits were not enough for the Peoria Chiefs on Sunday as they fell behind early and lost 9-6 to the Beloit Snappers at Pohlman Field. The loss evens the four-game series and drops the Chiefs to 19-16 on the season.

Both teams used the long ball to get on the board in the first inning. David Macias reached on a one-out single that was lost in the sun by shortstop James Beresford. Two batters later Josh Vitters put the Chiefs on top with a long home run to left field off Daniel Osterbrock. The homer is the fifth of the season and second of the series for Vitters. Beloit bounced back with three two-out runs in the first against Aaron Shafer. Shafer struck out the first two batters before Jon Waltenbury singled to right and Ozzie Lewis worked a full-count walk. Angel Morales erased the Chiefs lead with a three-run homer to straight away centerfield to put Beloit up 3-2.

The Snappers added to their lead in the second against Shafer. Alexander Soto singled with one out and Shafer hit Nate Hanson on the elbow. Both runners moved up on an infield single to third by Dominic De La Osa to load the bases. Beresford made it a 5-2 game with a single up the middle to plate Soto and Hanson before Shafer got out of the jam.
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Beloit broke the game open and knocked Shafer from the contest in the third. Morales led off with a single off the glove of Junior Lake at shortstop and stole second. After a groundout Michael Harrington doubled to right-center to put the Snappers up 6-2. Mike Perconte relieved Shafer and allowed the first two batters to reach, loading the bases with one out. De La Osa made it 7-2 with a sac fly to center before Perconte got out of the inning.

Trailing 7-2 to start the sixth, the Chiefs knocked Osterbrock out of the contest and drew to within a run. Vitters picked up his third hit and second double of the game with one out and scored on a double to left-center by Lake. Mario Mercedes made it 7-4 with a double down the right field line and he scored easily on a single to right by Kyler Burke. Steven Blevins relieved Osterbrock and Burke stole second to get into scoring position. Nelson Perez made it a 7-6 game with a single to left and the Chiefs loaded the bases on infield hits by Josh Harrison and David Macias. But Blevins got Rebel Ridling to pop up on the infield to end the inning with the Chiefs trailing by one.

Beloit put another tally on the board against Chiefs reliever Chris Siegfried in the bottom of the seventh. Ramon Santana led off with a single and was lifted for pinch runner Nick Romero. A sacrifice bunt moved Romero to second and he scored on a two-out double off the bat of Hanson. Erik Hamren relieved Siegfried and retired De La Osa to end the frame with the Chiefs down 8-6.

The Snappers added another insurance run in the eighth against reliever Erik Hamren. Beresford beat out an infield single to third and moved to second when Waltenbury walked. An error by Lake on a double play ball loaded the bases and Beresford scored when the Chiefs turned two off the bat of Morales.

Shafer allowed seven runs on seven hits in just 2 1/3 innings, his shortest outing of the season. The opening day starter walked one, allowed a homer, hit one and struck out two. He had gone at least five innings in each of his first six starts this season. Perconte held the Snappers off the scoreboard while giving up three hits over 2 2/3 innings. He struck out five and walked one. Siegfried allowed one run on a walk and three hits over 1 2/3 innings. Hamren allowed an unearned run on one hit and a walk while striking out one in his 1 1/3 innings of work.

Casey’s General Store Player of the Game– Josh Vitters (3B) – Josh homered for the second day in a row and fourth time this month to put the Chiefs up 2-0 in the first. He doubled leading off the fourth and again in the sixth before finally making an out in the seventh. Vitters finished 3-for-5 with two doubles, two RBI and two runs scored.

Notes... The opponent has scored in the first inning in five of the last seven games...The homer by Vitters in the first was the Chiefs second first-inning home run of the season, Ridling homered in the first at home on Thursday...The Chiefs are 9-3 in day games this season, 3-2 on the road...Peoria is 9-11 overall on the road this season...Vitters had a hit in six straight at-bats dating back to Saturday, one short of the Chiefs record...He has three straight three-hit games (9-for-12)...Shafer has allowed a home run in six straight starts...He also leads the team in six double plays induced...Perconte struck out a season-high five, two short of his career high from last June...The 14 hits by Beloit tie the season high for a Chiefs opponent...Peoria tied a season high with five doubles...The Chiefs are 5-6 against left-handed starters...Harrison leads the league in hits (49)...Burke is the fourth Chiefs player to get to 10 multi-hit games this season joining Ridling (10), Vitters (13) and Harrison (15)...Shafer allowed a career-high seven earned runs...Catcher Mario Mercedes was activated from the DL for Sunday’s game and started behind the plate for just the third time all season...The four-game series continues on Monday at 6:30 pm as the Chiefs send RH Marcus Hatley (2-1, 5.04) to the hill against Beloit RH Bobby Lanigan (4-1, 4.62)...The game can be heard starting with the pre-game show at 6:15 PM on 96.5 ESPN Radio and www.peoriachiefs.com.

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