Chiefs Win Wild Power Battle Against Cubs 12-5
Kevin Alcantara homers twice, makes two catches crashing into the wall
SOUTH BEND – After a no-hitter, you are usually due for a pretty interesting or crazy game the following day. It was a wild one between the South Bend Cubs and Peoria Chiefs on Friday evening from Four Winds Field. Kevin Alcántara had a massive game with two home runs and a spectacular night in center field. Even with ‘The Jaguar’ piecing together one of his best days of the season, Peoria ended strong, scoring six runs in the 9th inning, winning 12-5.
Connor Noland got the start for South Bend, fresh off the pitching staff’s no-hitter on Thursday. Noland, who battled through the first couple of innings, surrendered five runs over the first two frames, but with a bulldog mentality, he battled through. Noland would go on to not allow a run over the rest of his start and put together six strong innings.
Alcántara got the Cubs on the board thanks to his first of two homers on the day. Against Zane Mills, Alcántara led off the 2nd by barreling a ball just over the yellow-line marker in left-center field. It was a 5-1 Peoria lead.
The heroics would continue as Alcántara had his best defensive day of the season in center field too. He made two separate crashing catches into the wall. One in left-center, the other in right-center. All of this was centered around his second massive swing of the day.
Peoria inserted right-hander Andrew Marrero into the game. The bottom of the 5th inning saw James Triantos single through the hole on the left side for a rally starter. After back-to-back walks by Kevin Made and Alexander Canario, Alcántara came up and drilled a line drive toward center. As it sailed back to the warning track, it collided with the batter’s eye over the yellow line, for a grand slam.
With an exit velocity of 104 MPH off the bat and a ball that traveled 405 feet, Alcántara had tied it up. He extended his hitting streak to 12 games today, and his on-base streak to 16 games.
Peoria would have an answer though. In the 8th, Darlin Moquete hammered a ball over the wall in left-center to give the Chiefs the lead back. Up 6-5, the Chiefs rallied in the 9th, scoring six more runs and winning the game 12-5.
With the loss, the Cubs and Chiefs have split the first four games of this series. Game 5 of the 6-game series is scheduled for 7:05 PM on Saturday with right-hander Luis Devers on the mound.
