River Bandits roll over TinCaps, 13-5

DAVENPORT, Iowa - The TinCaps gave up two big innings in a 13-5 loss to the Quad Cities River Bandits, Saturday at Modern Woodmen Park. Danny Payne slugged a two-run homer and scored twice.

Quad Cities put up innings of five runs and six runs in the blowout.

Fort Wayne took the early lead as Payne led off the game with an error. He stole second and took third on an errant throw. Everett Williams grounded out to drive in the run.

Quad Cities rallied with two outs in the second; Alan Ahmady lifted an RBI triple to right, then Ivan Castro doubled home another run to give the River Bandits a 2-1 lead.

Payne hammered a two-run homer to left-center in the top of the third to make it a 3-2 Fort Wayne advantage, but Quad Cities ripped off 11 unanswered runs.

In the third, the River Bandits piled up five runs to take a 7-3 lead. In the fifth, a grand slam by C.J. Beatty made it 11-3. Quad Cities tacked on two more to push the lead to 13-3.

Fort Wayne plated a pair of runs in the seventh. Nate Freiman and Edinson Rincon hit back-to-back doubles to cut it to a 13-4 deficit. Two batters later, Griffin Benedict drove in a run with a groundout to finish the scoring.

INF Jon Alia provided a highlight in the bottom of the eighth. With the bullpen out of arms, Alia delivered a scoreless inning with a pair of strikeouts, stranding a pair of runners on base.

TinCaps LHP Jose De Paula (4-3) was tagged with seven earned runs in 2.2 innings to take the loss; River Bandits RHP Joe Kelly (5-6) picked up the win.

Fort Wayne fell to 11-11 in the half, 47-45 for the season. Quad Cities improved to 13-7 in the second half, 53-36 for the year.

The TinCaps continue the three-game series against the River Bandits (Class-A St. Louis Cardinals) Sunday at 6:00 p.m. ET. Fort Wayne LHP Pedro Hernandez (2-3) is the projected starter opposite Quad Cities RHP Eric Fornataro (7-7).