Peoria Slugs to 13-6 Final as Series Travels South

South Bend, IN - For the first time this season, a South Bend Cubs player picked up five hits in a single game. Reivaj Garcia jammed four singles, plus a double, and beat out a season best that at one point on Wednesday he shared with Jefferson Rojas, Pedro Ramirez, Ed Howard, and Rafael Morel. All four of those guys had prior four-hit games this season, and now Garcia leapfrogged them. Even with the performance, the Peoria Chiefs took down South Bend 13-6.

This Fourth of July week series between the Cubs and Chiefs will now bus southwest. Peoria won the first three games of this series at Four Winds Field, and now the Cubs will try to take three road games at Dozer Park. That’s where both clubs go, as the next three will be in Peoria.

For the third straight game this week, Peoria scored at least one run in the 1st inning. This time, it was two, courtesy of a home run from Darlin Moquete. It was the first of four homers clubbed by Peoria on the night, and the Chiefs also put together 16 hits.

South Bend had 13 knocks, but their effort came in comeback fashion. At one point, Peoria led 10-1, thanks to a six-run 4th inning.

The Cubs got their first run thanks to a David Avitia RBI-groundout, and then pieced together big innings in the 6th and 7th. Brian Kalmer was on base four times, including an RBI double. Jonathon Long had three hits, plus three runs scored. And Garcia picked up the five hits and three RBI in the game.

Giving South Bend the opportunity to come back thanks to 3.2 solid innings of relief in his Four Winds Field debut was Marino Santy. The left-hander allowed a singular run, and added one strikeout.

Mashing multi-hit games included Long, Kalmer, Garcia, and Jefferson Rojas with a pair of base knocks.

South Bend will try to get back at the Chiefs with action set in Peoria on the Fourth of July tomorrow. Sam Armstrong will pitch for the Cubs in the first game at Dozer Park at 7:05 PM ET.