Late rally propels Bandits over Rattlers Friday

Josh Rojas drives in four runs in series-opening win

By Jake Levy

August 18, 2017

GRAND CHUTE, Wisc. -- The Quad Cities River Bandits scored seven runs over the sixth and seventh innings to break away with a 10-3 win over the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers Friday night at Fox Cities Stadium. Josh Rojas drove in four runs in the game and Chuckie Robinson homered while

GRAND CHUTE, Wisc. -- The Quad Cities River Bandits scored seven runs over the sixth and seventh innings to break away with a 10-3 win over the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers Friday night at Fox Cities Stadium. Josh Rojas drove in four runs in the game and Chuckie Robinson homered while Patrick Sandoval struck out eight over six innings of work to earn the win.

Tied at three headed to the sixth, the River Bandits (35-19, 72-50) rallied for the lead when Luis Payano singled home a run then Rojas launched a sacrifice fly to add to the total. Five more River Bandits runs scored in the seventh, led by a two-run single by Daz Cameron , a run-scoring knock by Ronnie Dawson and a two-run triple by Rojas to break the game open.
The Bandits started the scoring in the first when Robinson clubbed his 13th home run of the season, a two-run jack to left, to get the Bandits on the board. Rojas would follow up with a single to drive in his first of four runs in the game. Wisconsin (24-30, 50-72) tied the game with three runs in the third. Mario Feliciano hit a bases loaded ground ball to second, where Marcos Almonte committed both a fielding and throwing error to turn what could have been an inning-ending double play into two runs. One batter later, Mitch Ghelfi doubled home the tying run.
Sandoval (W, 2-2) hurled six innings, allowing three runs - two earned - on four hits and a walk while striking out a season-high eight. Natino Diplan (L, 3-10) allowed all seven runs late on eight its and a walk to suffer the loss.
The Bandits can clinch at least a split of the 2017 season series with a win over Wisconsin Saturday in the second of the four-game series. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. with Nathan Thompson (0-0, 6.00) on the bump for Quad Cities against Bradon Webb (5-6, 4.83) for Wisconsin. You can hear the action live on 1170 AM K-BOB, riverbandits.com and the TuneIn app with Jake Levy beginning at 6:20 with the River Bandits On-Deck Show, powered by Hampton Inn and Suites Davenport.