Quad Cities beats Rattlers 7-5 in series finale

DAVENPORT, IA - The Quad Cities River Bandits built a 6-1 lead and held off the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers for a 7-5 victory on Tuesday night at Modern Woodmen Park. The Bandits scored twice in the fourth and four times in the fifth inning to erase a 1-0 Wisconsin lead. The Rattlers rallied to pull to within a run, but they could not close the gap.

Lance Roenicke started the game with a double for Wisconsin (50-31 overall, 6-6 second half) in the top of the first inning. One out later Mitch Haniger blooped a single into right and Roenicke scored for a 1-0 Timber Rattlers lead.

Wisconsin starter Chad Pierce walked Bandits third baseman Stephen Piscotty with one out in the fifth inning. Garcia blasted the next pitch over the wall in left-center and the Bandits (43-38, 8-4) led 2-1.

Then, Quad Cities sent nine men to the plate in the fifth inning and scored four times off Pierce. There were two runners on with one out when Matt Williams doubled in a run. After a hit batsman loaded the bases, Piscotty doubled in two more runs. An RBI grounder by David Medina put the Bandits up 6-1.

Wisconsin came storming back in the top of the seventh. Brandon Macias and Haniger drew walks to start the inning. Ben McMahan drove in Macias with a single. Then, Nick Ramirez crushed a three-run home run to right-center and Wisconsin pulled to within a run at 6-5.

The Bandits took advantage of a rare Wisconsin error in the sixth inning to score a run. There was a runner at first with no outs against Wisconsin reliever Tyler Cravy. He got a grounder to short that was mishandled and the runner who would have been out at second scooted to third. An RBI grounder by Casey Rasmus knocked in that unearned run for a 7-5 lead.

Both teams threatened to score after that, but the bullpens held and 7-5 was the final.

Friday's game was the final meeting of the regular season between the teams. The Rattlers and River Bandits split the 14 game series as each recorded seven wins.

Wisconsin begins a three game series at Cedar Rapids on Wednesday evening. David Goforth (5-2, 5.24) is the scheduled starting pitcher for the Timber Rattlers. Cedar Rapids has Dan Reynolds (0-3, 3.25) as their scheduled starter. Game time is 5:05pm. Tune in for the broadcast on AM1280, WNAM starting with the Miller Lite Pregame Show at 4:45pm.

HOME RUNS:
WIS:
Nick Ramirez (6th, 2 on in 6th inning, off Robert Stock, 0 out)

QC:
Anthony Garcia (10th, 1 on in 4th inning off Chad Pierce, 1 out)

WP: Robert Stock (5-0)
LP: Chad Pierce (2-3)
SAVE: Heath Wyatt (13)

TIME: 2:51
ATTN: 7,380