Lamkin’s Gem, Mitchell’s Homer Not Enough in Bandits’ Loss to Rattlers (4-8-26)

Davenport, Iowa – A pair of Royals’ top 30 prospects struck for highlights Wednesday, but the River Bandits suffered their second-straight loss to open the season after falling to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 9-1 at Modern Woodmen Park.

Quad Cities’ starter Justin Lamkin was the first make his mark, as Kansas City’s No. 14 prospect (MLB Pipeline) did not allow a hit and struck out a game-high six over 4.0-scoreless innings in his first professional outing.

The 21-year-old fanned five of the first six batters he faced, including four in-a-row to begin his night.

Josiah Ragsdale made it as far as third against Lamkin after drawing a third-inning walk and stealing both second and third, but that was as far as any Rattlers’ base runner would get while Lamkin was on the mound.

After shutting out Quad Cities’ bats in the Tuesday’s series-opener, the Timber Rattlers’ pitching staff came out hot again, with starter Jason Woodward (2.2 IP, 4 SO) and relievers Jose Nova (0.1 IP, 1 SO) and Travis Smith matching Lamkin’s scoreless effort through the seventh inning.

The River Bandits threatened as early as the first inning, with Nolan Sailors making it to third after a leadoff double in the first, and loaded the bases in the seventh inning helped by a pair of Rattlers’ errors, but failed to take advantage, finishing the night hitless with runners in scoring position for the second consecutive game (0-for-8).

Wisconsin used a two-out rally against Josh Hansell to open the scoring in the sixth, with Luis Pena and Marco Dinges notching a pair of RBI-singles, before Josh Adamczewski made it a 5-0 Rattlers’ lead with a three-run homer, his first of the season.

Andrew Fischer took advantage of three Hunter Alberini walks and blew open the game in the seventh, launching a grand slam off Dash Albus to put Wisconsin up 9-0.

After being shut out through their first 16 innings of the season, the Bandits got a solo blast from Royals No. 2 prospect and baseball’s No. 70 prospect (MLB Pipeline) Blake Mitchell in the eighth, as the designated hitter took a two-strike pitch from Smith over the left-field wall for his hit and Quad Cities’ first run of 2026.

River Bandits’ right-hander Ryan Ure worked out of a bases loaded jam in the top of the ninth to post a zero in his professional debut, but a one-two-three ninth from T-Rat’s hurler Jack Seppings closed out the Wisconsin victory.

Smith (1-0) earned the win out of the Rattlers’ bullpen, striking out four over 5.0 innings of relief, while Josh Hansell was tagged with the loss for Quad Cities after allowing five runs, all earned, over a 1.2-inning season debut.

The River Bandits return to Modern Woodmen Park to host game three of the six-game set tomorrow night and send Emmanuel Reyes (0-0, 0.00) to the hill for his first start of the season opposite Timber Rattlers’ Ethan Dorchies (0-0, 4.50). First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.