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PERU – In their first game of the Prospect League playoffs, the Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp rallied to overcome a bad inning.
The Shrimp couldn’t do it again Tuesday.
After taking a four-run lead through two innings and maintaining it through three, the Shrimp allowed the Chillicothe Paints to score five runs in the fourth, and Illinois Valley couldn’t recover in a 7-4 loss in the Eastern Conference championship at Schweickert Stadium.
“We had one bad inning where even though we didn’t make any errors on the scoreboard, we made some mental errors that really cost us the game,” Shrimp owner/manager John Jakiemiec said. “We’ve been good about coming back [from those situations], but that didn’t happen tonight.”
The Shrimp struck early with an RBI groundout by Zach Lane in the first inning then extended the lead with three runs in the second.
Garry Maynard led off with a double, and after an out, Alex Rakas reached on a bunt single.
Justin Rios then delivered a two-run double, and following a pitching change, Jared Quandt ripped a shot off third base to plate Rios.
However, the Paints started the fourth with back-to-back doubles to plate a run before mental miscues began to plague the Shrimp.
The next batter struck out, but reached on a dropped third strike when catcher Ivan Witt threw to second base in an attempt to get the runner there.
Hunter Klotz then put down a sacrifice bunt, but pitcher Zach Losey threw to third where Nate Dorinsky reached safely to load the bases.
Jake Reifsnyde grounded out to bring in a run, Brett Carson hit a two-run single and Santrel Farmer doubled home a run.
“We had one or two miscues, but that happens,” Rios said. “They kind of changed the momentum and momentum is a big thing in baseball.”
The Shrimp had several scoring chances but couldn’t capitalize.
In the bottom of the fourth, Maynard and Witt hit back-to-back singles to start the inning, but Rakas and Kevin Parker both put down sac bunt attempts where the lead runner was thrown out at third before Rios struck out to end the threat.
In the fifth, the Shrimp appeared to get some luck as Quandt reached on an error to start the frame, but the overthrown ball bounced off the fence and back to first baseman Carson, allowing the Paints to get Quandt out in a rundown.
The Paints tacked on two more runs in the seventh to go up 7-4.
In the bottom of the eighth, Ottawa graduate Evan Evola led off with a walk and Maynard followed with a single, but the next two batters struck out.
After Parker walked to load the bases, a popout ended the inning.
In the ninth, Farmer made a diving catch on Quandt’s fly ball to center field to start the inning before Harry Mauterer struck out.
After Tucker Bougie doubled, Evola hit a fly ball to center, but Farmer made a running catch to end the game.
“We had opportunities,” Jakiemiec said. “We had first and second with nobody out and didn’t get it done. We had bases loaded and didn’t push across a run. We’ve been able to survive that the past week or two, but tonight, we didn’t.”
Rios finished 1 for 5 with two RBIs and two runs, Maynard was 3 for 4 with a run and Bougie went 2 for 4.
Losey took the loss, allowing five earned runs on five hits with nine strikeouts and five walks in 4 2/3 innings.
Rios pitched 3 2/3 innings of relief, giving up two earned runs on five hits while striking out nine and walking two.
Bougie struck out both batters he faced.
The Shrimp finish 39-22 while the Paints (40-22) advance to play the Alton River Dragons in the best-of-three championship series. The Dragons beat Quincy, 8-7, on a walk-off grand slam Tuesday.