DAYTON, Ohio -- A game-tying, three-run home run with two outs in the ninth inning by Rodrigo Ayarza only delayed the inevitable for the Quad Cities River Bandits in a 10-9 loss to the Dayton Dragons in 11 innings Saturday night at Fifth Third Field. Ayarza gave the Bandits a
DAYTON, Ohio -- A game-tying, three-run home run with two outs in the ninth inning by Rodrigo Ayarza only delayed the inevitable for the Quad Cities River Bandits in a 10-9 loss to the Dayton Dragons in 11 innings Saturday night at Fifth Third Field. Ayarza gave the Bandits a lead in the 11th with his fourth hit of the game, an RBI single with two outs, but Dayton answered with two runs in the home half for the walk-off win on a sacrifice fly by T.J. Friedl .
Quad Cities (16-18) was swept for the first time this season despite out-hitting the Dragons (25-11) by two over the three games. The River Bandits erased what was once a five-run lead for Dayton to force extra innings and eventually jump in front, but couldn't hold on for the win.
A five-run fifth inning by the Dragons broke a 2-2 tie, but the Bandits got the comeback started when Chuckie Robinson crushed his first home run of the season over the left field wall in the eighth to get the Bandits within three before Ayarza's two-out delivery in the ninth. With runners at the corners and two outs in the 11th, Ayarza smacked a single into left field to plate Ray Henderson for the lead.
Erasmo Pinales (0-1) recorded two outs in the eleventh, including the sacrifice fly, surrendering a pair of runs for his first blown save of the season, allowing two hits and a pair of walks. Patrick Riehl (1-1) allowed the River Bandits to score in his lone inning on the mound, but got the win thanks to his offense's response. Enoli Paredes tossed 5.1 innings of relief, allowing just one run on one hit to keep the Bandits within striking distance while Dayton starting pitcher Tony Santillan struck out seven River Bandits over 5.2 innings on the mound.
Overall, the River Bandits struck out 17 times in the game, a new season-high, while Bandits pitching issued eight walks. Ronel Blanco allowed five runs on six hits in 0.2 innings in the fifth, opening up the large lead for Dayton that forced Quad Cities to slug their way back. The two homers for the River Bandits in the game give them a league-high 40 for the season. Eight of nine Bandits batters had hits in the game with Marcos Almonte collecting three hits while Daz Cameron extended his hitting streak to five games.
The River Bandits have an off day Sunday before returning to Western Division action Monday, opening a three-game series with the Burlington Bees at 11: 00 a.m. CT. It's the first of back-to-back Book Buddies Reading Day Games at Modern Woodmen Park and you can hear all the action, beginning with the Hampton Inn Pregame Show, on 1170 AM K-BOB, riverbandits.com and the TuneIn app.
