By WJBC Staff
PEORIA – The Peoria Chiefs erased a four-run deficit with a six-run sixth inning to beat the Quad Cities River Bandits 8-4 Monday night. With the win the Chiefs are now 3-1 on the season while Quad Cities falls to 0-5.
The visitors took an early lead against Chiefs starter Junior Fernandez as Johnny Sewald led off with a single and scored on a double by Osvaldo Duarte. With one out in the first inning the Bandits went on top 2-0 with a single from Anthony Hermeryln before a double play ended the inning. Quad Cities added to their lead with a RBI double from Sewald in the second and an unearned run in the fifth.
The Chiefs did not get runner past first base against Quad Cities starter Kevin McCanna through five innings. However reliever Sebastian Kassey walked the first three Chiefs he faced to start the sixth inning. Eli Alvarez singled to right to score Leo Pina and Bandits first baseman Dexture McCall threw wildly to second on the cut-off allowing two more Chiefs to score on the play. Down 4-3, Alvarez went all the way to third on the error and scored on a one-out single by Magneuris Sierra. With the game tied, R.J. Dennard launched a monster home run to right field to give the Chiefs a 6-4 lead. Peoria ended up loading the bases again but did not add on as they sent 12 batters to the plate in the sixth inning.
The insurance runs came in the seventh inning against Zack Person. Edmundo Sosa single with one out and Sierra double to right. Sosa scored on a wild pitch and Sierra came home on a sacrifice fly by Dennard for an 8-4 lead and the last run of the game.
Fernandez (1-0) earned the win with six innings of work. He allowed four runs, three earned, on five hits while walking two and striking out four. Steven De La Cruz earned a hold with two shutout innings in which he struck out four and walked two. Steve Gallardo allowed one hit and struck out one in a scoreless ninth inning.
