Cubs Edge Chiefs in Extras

SOUTH BEND, IN – The South Bend Cubs handed the Peoria Chiefs their fifth consecutive loss Tuesday with a 3-2 win in 10 innings.

South Bend loaded the bases with no one out in the bottom of the 10th. Lead-off man Brett Bateman ended the game with a walk-off sac fly to hand the Cubs just their third win in 13 tries against the Chiefs this season.

Peoria’s offense came racing off the starting block on Tuesday. The first four batters collected hits to jumpstart the Chiefs to an early lead. After Brody Moore singled to begin the game, Tre Richardson scored him from first with a double to the alley in left center. Leonardo Bernal followed with a single of his own and Chris Rotondo singled in Richardson to make it 2-0. Peoria later loaded the bases with no one out but could not put up a crooked number.

From there, the Chiefs offense was stymied. At one point, South Bend pitching retired 20 consecutive Peoria batters before a Joshua Baez double in the seventh.

Pete Hansen took the ball for the Chiefs on Tuesday, coming off a 10-strikeout performance against Quad Cities prior to the MLB All-Star break. Hansen worked out of a bases loaded jam in the first. The southpaw later retired 11 in a row in his own right.

With two outs in the sixth, Brian Kalmer tied the score. His two-run homer off of the batter’s eye made it a 2-2 contest. Hansen recorded the inning’s final out before he departed from the game. He logged his fifth quality start in his last six efforts.

In the top of the 10th, the Chiefs loaded the bases with two outs, but Leonardo Bernal punched out to end the inning. Peoria hitters punched out 15 times in the defeat.

With Bateman’s walk-off sac fly, the Chiefs dropped to 2-6 in extra-inning games this season.

Game two of the series is set for Wednesday afternoon in South Bend. First pitch is scheduled for 12:05 PM EDT/11:05 AM CDT.