Chiefs top Burlington 2-1
By: Michael Klos
Updated: July 5, 2012
WMBD/WYZZ-TV STAFF - PEORIA, IL - After snapping a seven-game losing streak the night before, the Peoria Chiefs made it back-to back wins with a 2-1 win over the Burlington Bees Thursday night. The win puts the Chiefs at 5-9, 40-43 overall, as they look to complete the three-game sweep Friday night with first pitch at 7:00.
The Chiefs jumped out on top in the bottom of the second. After AJ Cole struck out the side in the first, Dustin Geiger greeted him to start the second with a solo homerun to left. Javier Baez followed with a single to center before stealing second and advancing to third on an errant throw by catcher Nick Rickles.
Wes Darvill made it 2-0 with an RBI groundout to second scoring Baez.
The Chiefs tight-roped out of danger in the top of the fifth. Wade Kirkland led off with an infield to third. An out later, Royce Consigli made it first and second with a grounder to third that Darvill was unable to handle as Consigli reached safely on the error. Michael Fabiaschi singled to load the bases for Sean Jamieson. The lead-off hitter hit a one-hop groundball that Darvill stretched high for, planted, and fired home to cut down Kirkland at the plate for the force out. That was all for starter Zach Cates, as Zac Rosscup replaced the right-hander with the bases loaded and two outs. The left-hander stuck out Eliezer Mesa looking to keep the Chiefs lead at 2-0.
Mesa got some revenge in the top of the eighth. After Rosscup got the first two outs of the inning, Luis Liria was summoned from the bullpen to get the last four outs. The right-hander was greeted with a solo homerun from Mesa on his second pitch in the inning, cutting the Chiefs lead in half at 2-1. The Bees made it interesting in the ninth. After Liria set down the first two men in the inning, Kirkland laced a double to left to put the tying run in scoring position. Chih-Fang Pan came in as a pinch-runner, but Liria bounced back to get Rickles to bounce out to Baez at short to end the ballgame.
Cates went 4 2/3 shutout innings on five hits, walking none and striking out five. Rosscup (2-0) tossed three scoreless innings on one hit, no walks and five strikeouts. Liria earned his fourth save with 1 1/3 innings of work, allowing one run on two hits and no walks, while striking out two.
