Beloit, WI– Stefan Trosclair hit for the third cycle in franchise history as the Peoria Chiefs set a Midwest League record for extra base hits in a game and a team-record for doubles in a game in a 13-10 win over the Beloit Snappers Friday night. The Chiefs are now 23-18 in the second half and 53-57 overall as they head to Clinton for a four-game series.
Trosclair homered in the fourth inning before keying a 10-run eighth inning for the Chiefs with a leadoff triple. Later in the inning, with the Chiefs leading 9-3, Trosclair doubled off the wall in left-center to bring home Brian O’Keefe. With one on and one out in the ninth, Trosclair singled through the left side on a two-strike pitch to complete the third cycle in franchise history.
The Chiefs wasted two early opportunities against Beloit starter Kyle Twomey. Kramer Robertson led off the game with a double and moved to third on a flyout to center by Dylan Carslon. However Twomey struck out O’Keefe and Vince Jackson to keep the game scoreless. JR Davis singled with one out in the second inning and moved to third when Juan Yepez doubled to left. But again Twomey escaped the threat as Matt Fiedler popped out and Mick Fennell grounded out.
A Peoria mistake helped the Snappers take the lead in the second. Edwin Diaz bunted the first pitch back to Chiefs starter Ian Oxnevad and his throw to first was in time to get the out but Trosclair dropped the ball for an error. Miguel Mercedes made the Chiefs pay as he launched his 15th homer of the season, and second of the series, over the batters eye for a 2-0 Snappers lead.
The home run ball hurt the Chiefs again in the fifth inning. Snappers catcher Collin Theroux went deep off Oxnevad for the second time this season at Pohlman Field and his 12th overall dinger put the hosts on top 3-1.
The Chiefs narrowed the gap in the top of the seventh against reliever Joe Camacho. Robertson drew a walk with one out and scored on a double off the wall in left-center by Dylan Carlson to get the Chiefs within a run. Carlson moved to third on a groundout but was stranded 90 feet away from tying the game.
Trailing 3-2 the Chiefs sent 15 batters to the plate in the eighth inning against Camacho and Yordys Alejo with the first 10 reaching safely. Trosclair tripled and scored to tie the game on a triple by Davis. Yepez put the Chiefs on top 4-3 with a double and he scored on an error as Fiedler reached for a 5-3 lead. Fennell singled and Robertson’s second double of the game scored both runners for a 7-3 Chiefs lead. Carlson doubled home Robertson for an 8-3 lead and moved to third as O’Keefe single. Jackson singled home Carlson for a 9-3 lead and Trosclair’s double off the wall made it 10-3 as 10 straight batters reached. Beloit finally got an out before Yepez singled home two more for a 12-3 Chiefs lead and a 10-run inning. Total 15 batters went to the plate with 10 hits, four doubles, two triples and one Snappers errors.
Beloit bounced back to score five times in the bottom of the inning off Ronnie Williams. Diaz hit a three-run homer following two singles to cut the Chiefs lead to 12-6, Two batters later JC Rodriguez homered to narrow the gap to 12-8 before Max Almonte got out of the inning.
The Chiefs broke the MWL record and team record for extra-base hits in a game in the ninth against reliever Sam Sheehan. With one out O’Keefe launched his 11th homer of the season over the center-field wall for a 13-8 Chiefs lead. The homer also set the stage for Trosclair to bat and hit for the cycle.
Beloit added a double in the bottom of the ninth as the two teams combined for a MWL record 20 extra-base hits on Persico’s one-out double. Diaz singled home Persico and scored on a single by Mercedes as the Snappers got to within 13-10 before Almonte closed the game.
Oxnevad allowed three runs, two earned, on four hits over five innings. He walked one, struck out three and allowed two homers. Austin Sexton returned to the mound for the first time in five weeks and allowed two hits while striking out two in one shutout inning. Williams (4-6) got the win despite allowing five runs on five hits and a walk over one inning as he struck out three. Almonte allowed two runs on three hits over two innings while striking out two.
