Game-Two Walk-Off Helps Sweep Bandits in Twin Bill

Dayton, Ohio – The Quad Cities River Bandits lost both games of their doubleheader with the Dayton Dragons on Friday, dropping game one by a final of 7-1 and allowing a three-run walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh of game two to fall 5-3 at Day Air Ballpark.

In game one, the Dragons took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first, getting a leadoff solo shot from Jose Torres to take a lead they would never surrender.

Bandits’ starter Charlie Neuweiler gave up a season-high seven runs in his 3.1 inning start, with Dayton striking for three runs in both the third and fourth innings with the help of a pair of Mat Nelson and Alex McGary RBI doubles in the third and solo blast from Nick Quintana with one out in the fourth.

Patrick Halligan relieved Neuweiler midway through the fourth inning, but allowed a pair of inherited runners to score in his 2.2 innings of relief.

The lone Quad Cities run came courtesy of Tyler Gentry, who launched a solo home run for his third of the season. It would be the only blemish on the day for Thomas Farr, who tossed 4.0 innings of one-run ball for the Dragons, including five strikeouts.

Jake Stevenson (1-0) got the win pitching the fifth for Dayton, while Neuweiler (2-4) took a loss for the fourth time this season.

Game two featured a pitchers’ duel between Quad Cities’ Noah Murdock and Dayton’s Connor Phillips who each tossed four scoreless innings to start the game.

Murdock was the first to blink however, as after a leadoff walk and a wild pitch, allowed Michael Trautwein into scoring position with no one out in the fifth. Three batters later, with the go-ahead run at third, Elly De La Cruz poked an RBI single up the middle before Justice Thompson plated Ashton Creal with a sacrifice-fly to make it a 2-0 game.

Quad Cities responded in the top of the sixth though, using a one-out Tyler Tolbert triple and a hit-by-pitch (Diego Hernandez) to put men on the corners. After a mound visit, Phillips allowed an RBI single to Tyler Gentry that went to right field, but as Cerda failed to handle the ball cleanly, Hernandez scored from first on an error to tie the game.

Murdock didn’t return for the bottom of the sixth and struck out a career-high seven batters in 5.0 innings.

After Caden Monke pitched a one-two-three frame to keep the game tied, the Bandits faced a new pitcher as well, with Phillips giving way to Jake Gilbert after allowing just one earned run in 6.0 innings and collecting a career-high 13 strikeouts, one shy of the Dayton club record.

Burle Dixon and Juan Carlos Negret began the top of the seventh with a pair of walks and one batter later moved to second and third on a Dillan Shurm groundout. With two men in scoring position and one down, Morgan McCullough notched his first hit of the night with a base hit to left field to give Q.C. its first lead of the doubleheader, 3-2.

Monke returned for the bottom of the seventh with a chance to record his third save of the year. The lefty walked pinch hitter Garrett Wolforth to start the inning, but then retired the next two batters. With two outs, De La Cruz singled to put the tying run at third and the winning run at first.

The next batter, Thompson, walked-off the Bandits with a three-run homer to left field, giving the Dragons a 5-3 win, a sweep of the doubled header, and a guaranteed split of the six-game series.

Gilbert (2-1) got the win for Dayton despite allowing the go-ahead run in 1.0 inning out of the bullpen, while Monke (0-2) was on the hook for the walk-off.

Quad Cities will look to end a three-game skid on Saturday at Day Air Ballpark and will hand the ball to Noah Cameron (0-0, 0.00) who will make his High-A debut against the Dragons and Christian Roa (0-0, 4.50). First pitch is scheduled for 7:05pm ET.