River Bandits Walk off Chiefs in Season Finale
September 11, 2022 – Midwest League (MWL) – Peoria Chiefs News Release
Davenport, IA – The Chiefs used a seven-run third inning to overcome an early hole but Quad Cities ultimately walked off with a 12-11 victory in the 2022 regular season finale. The Chiefs finished 56-76 and 28-38 in the season’s second half.
The River Bandits jumped out to a 6-0 lead after two innings before Peoria flipped the script. The Chiefs hit for the cycle in the third inning and sent 11 men to the plate, leading to seven runs. A Luis Rodriguez homer got the party started. After a wild pitch and a sac fly made it 6-3, Francisco Hernandez singled in a run to make it 6-4. Later, a Patrick Romeri double tied the score at 6-6. Finally, a Ramon Mendoza triple gave Peoria their first lead, 7-6.
An inning later, the Chiefs tacked on an insurance run via a Tommy Jew homer, his seventh of the year.
Peoria took the 8-6 lead into the fifth but Quad Cities knotted the score in the home half of the inning. A Juan Carlos Negret homer cut the deficit in half before Jack Alexander tied the game with a double.
In the bottom of the seventh, it was Dillan Shrum again. Shrum connected on his fourth home run of the series, a two-run shot, to give the Bandits a 10-8.
In what was typical fashion this series, the Chiefs did not go quietly. With runners at first and second, LJ Jones doubled home Jew to cut the deficit to 10-9. Later, a wild pitch scored Noah Mendlinger to knot the score 10-10. With two outs in the inning, Tyler Reichenborn singled in Jones and the Chiefs were back in front, 11-10.
After Levi Prater worked a clean eighth, Quad Cities got to him in the ninth. A lead-off home run tied the game at 11-11 before a pair of walks and a single ended the game and the 2022 season.
Season tickets for the 2023 season are available and the schedule for next season has been released. Peoria will open up at home next season against Cedar Rapids.
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