Bandits one-hit Lugnuts… but Nuts win, 1-0!

LANSING, Mich. - The Quad Cities River Bandits (11-15) piled up 10 hits while limiting the Lansing Lugnuts (15-10) to solely an innocent bloop single in the fourth inning - but the Lugnuts still blanked the Bandits, 1-0, in a Thursday night series-opener at Cooley Law School Stadium.

The wild result earned Jon Harris, the Blue Jays first-round selection in the 2015 draft, his first professional victory.

Lansing scored the game's only run in the third inning, loading the bases on three consecutive walks before Juan Kelly's double-play bouncer brought in Aaron Attaway.

The River Bandits' hits were well and truly scattered, with two hits in the fifth inning and exactly one hit in every other frame.

Quad Cities did not help itself on the base paths: in the third inning, Johnny Sewald was tagged out easily at the plate after attempting to score on a ball that did not bounce far enough away from catcher Justin Atkinson; in the fifth, Aaron Mizell was thrown out trying to stretch a leadoff double into a triple; in the seventh, Mizell was picked off first base; and in the ninth, Anthony Hermelyn was thrown out at second base attempting to tag and advance on a flyout to center field.

Hermelyn's ill-advised decision was immediately followed by a Dexture McCall triple to right-center. Dusty Isaacs (Save, 4) then struck out Mizell, ending the game with the potential game-tying run 90 feet away.

Harris (Win, 1-0), allowed six hits in his five innings, walking one and striking out two. Tayler Saucedo followed him with three scoreless innings before yielding to Isaacs in the ninth.

Quad Cities issued nine walks in the game, five by starter Sebastian Kessay (Loss, 1-3), who left the game two batters and two pitches into the third inning due to injury.

Friday night is the second game in the three-game series, with the Lugnuts tabbing right-hander Francisco Rios (1-0, 1.48) against River Bandits right-hander Kevin McCanna (0-1, 2.70). Friday night is a Freebie Friday: Kids Eat FREE, with a special appearance from Myron Noodleman and LAFCU Postgame Fireworks! First pitch is at 7:05 p.m., with gates opening an hour earlier.

To purchase tickets, stop by the Cooley Law School Stadium box office, call (517) 485-4500 or visit lansinglugnuts.com.

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