Ascanio Walks off QC Monday

Peoria, IL - The Peoria Chiefs rallied to score two runs in the bottom of the ninth to defeat the Quad Cities River Bandits 3-2 and the series. The first-place Chiefs improved to 27-15 in the second half and 66-46 overall with a league wide off day on Tuesday.

     The long ball helped the River Bandits jump out to an early lead on Chiefs starter Alvaro Seijas in the top of the first. On the second pitch of the game, Colton Shaver teed off on a solo homer to left for a quick 1-0 advantage. Another solo shot added to the River Bandits lead in the top of the second as Scott Schreiber cleared the wall in left field as the margin doubled to 2-0.
     The Chiefs got on the board in the bottom of the fifth against River Bandits starter Edgardo Sandoval. Bryce Denton led off with a single to right and he moved to second on a groundout by JR Davis. Brandon Benson lined a single to right center to plate Denton as the deficit was cut in half 2-1.
     Peoria rallied in the bottom of the ninth against Jairo Solis. Zach Kirtley and Julio Rodriguez both singled to left to start the frame. With one out, Davis singled home Kirtley from second to tie the game 2-2. Solis exited the game with runners at first and second with one out due an injury. Brendan Feldmann entered out of the bullpen and retired the lead runner Rodriguez at third on a fielder's choice. Davis scored the winning run on a single down the right field line by Rayder Ascanio for a 3-2 walk-off victory.
     Seijas took a no-decision throwing 5 1/3 innings allowing two runs on seven hits with two walks and four strikeouts. Robbie Gordon threw 2 2/3 scoreless innings and set down all eight batters he faced with five strikeouts. Ben Yokley (2-1) earned the win pitching a scoreless ninth inning without allowing a hit with one walk and two strikeouts.
Notes… The Chiefs won their ninth game on a walk-off this season and they have 28 comeback wins this season...Kirtley has a six-game hit streak...Elehuris Montero picked up his league leading 122^nd hit of the season with a first-inning single…Nick Plummer had two hits and was hit by a pitch for the sixth time this season…Plummer has been hit by a pitch 20 times in his Chiefs career, tied with Zeke DeVoss for the fourth most in franchise history…The Chiefs are 12-7 in Seijas' 19 starts this year…Gordon struck out five of the eight batters he faced, one shy of his career high...The Chiefs are 4-0 at home in the rubber game of a series and 14-5 in the final game of the series...Benson recorded his second multi-hit game of the season...The Chiefs are 59-12 when allowing four runs or less...With 38 home wins the Chiefs have the most home wins in the MWL…Seven of the last eight games have been decided by one run and the Chiefs are 4-3 in those games…The entire Midwest League is off Tuesday.