Beloit, WI – In a contest that did not begin until 8:47 p.m. due to rain and lasted until 12:27 a.m., the Chiefs outlasted Beloit 8-5 in a 12-inning thriller at ABC Supply Stadium on Wednesday evening.
The victory moves Peoria to 2-2 in the second half and evens the series with the Sky Carp at a game apiece.
The contest, much like Tuesday, opened with dominant starting pitching.
Sky Carp starter Carson Laws held the Chiefs without a hit through six innings, striking out a season-high nine in the process.
Chiefs starter Yhoiker Fajardo matched in the strikeout department, punching out a career-high nine batters in five innings.
However, Beloit was able to do some damage in the run column. The Sky Carp opened the scoring in the third as Colby Shade scored on a throwing error. In the fifth, they doubled the lead with a Shade RBI single.
After Laws’ exit, the Chiefs busted up the no hitter and shutout in the top of the seventh.
José Suárez ended the no-hit bid with a one out single that loaded the bases for Michael Dattalo. The fresh call up delivered with his first High-A hit, a blooper to right for a two RBI single that tied the game at two. An error later in the inning gave the Chiefs a 3-2 lead.
Dominic Freeberger (seventh) and Bobby Olsen (eighth) kept the lead in place into the ninth inning, when Jawilme Ramírez took the ball.
A hit by pitch to open the inning, then a one-out single applied pressure. Ramírez brought Beloit to its final out with a strikeout, but then issued a walk to Shade. Ball four sailed off catcher Cade McGee’s mitt, allowing the tying run to score. Ramírez retired the next batter to send the game to extra innings.
For the second consecutive game, Peoria struck out three times in a row in the top of the 10th inning, allowing Beloit a golden opportunity in the bottom of the inning. However, Ramírez prevented a walk off, retiring three straight Carp batters with a runner on third base to push the game to the 11th inning.
Dattalo broke the deadlock with an RBI single, for his third RBI of the night. Later in the frame, a fielders choice allowed a second run to score, making it 5-3 Chiefs.
Christian Worley took the mound for the bottom of the inning and surrendered a first pitch RBI single to Carter Johnson that brought Beloit back within one, 5-4. After a fielders’ choice, Worley walked two batters to load the bases. With two outs, Worley brought Cody Schrier to a two-strike count, but just as the clock hit midnight, Worley balked, allowing the tying run to score from third, extending the game.
In the 12th, Josh Kross punched an RBI single to give the Chiefs the lead again, 6-5. Suárez delivered the big blow: a two-RBI double into the right-center field gap, blowing the lead open to 8-5.
Worley returned for the bottom of the 12th and ended the game, stranding the bases loaded.
Both pitching staffs struck out 21 opposing hitters, marking season highs for Chiefs pitchers and batters.
The series continues Thursday evening at 6:05 pm. Fans can tune into the Chiefs audio broadcast on PeoriaChiefs.com.