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Miscues Hurt Bandits in 8-1 Loss to Cougars

(Josh Franzen)
August 26, 2019

The Quad Cities River Bandits committed three errors on the way to dropping game three of their series with the Kane County Cougars by an 8-1 score on Monday night at Modern Woodmen Park. Kane County scored in six different innings to overcome an early deficit. Quad Cities (34-29, 77-52)

The Quad Cities River Bandits committed three errors on the way to dropping game three of their series with the Kane County Cougars by an 8-1 score on Monday night at Modern Woodmen Park. Kane County scored in six different innings to overcome an early deficit.
Quad Cities (34-29, 77-52) held the lead very briefly in the early going. In the bottom of the first, Wilyer Abreu poked a double down the left field line to put himself in scoring position. He attempted to score on Austin Dennis's base hit into right field in the next at bat, but was thrown out at the plate on a strike from right fielder Dominic Fletcher. The River Bandits were able to push across one run when Trey Dawson followed with his own single to left that scored Dennis.
Kane County (40-23, 72-57) scored a run in each of the next three innings to assume control. With runners on the corners in the top of the second, an errant pickoff throw by Bandits starter R.J. Freure tied the game. KeShawn Lynch opened the third inning with a double, moved to third on groundball and scored when Zack Shannon bounced into a double play. The Cougars lead grew to 3-1 on an RBI single by Nick Dalesandro in the fourth.

After going without a run in the fifth inning, the Cougars again scored in three consecutive frames. Two runs crossed in the sixth on a bases loaded hit by pitch and ensuing RBI groundout. A three-base throwing error by reliever Devin Conn paved the way for two more to score in the seventh and make it 7-1. The final damage was done in the eighth when Dominic Fletcher lined a base hit up the middle for an 8-1 advantage.
The Cougars pitching staff kept River Bandits batters off-balance all night. Luis Frias picked up the win with 5.0 innings of work during which he struck out seven. Jackson Goddard was dominant out of the bullpen with 4.0 scoreless innings to earn the save.
Freure was dealt the loss after giving up five runs, four earned, in 5.1 innings. Conn surrendered three runs, one earned, in 2.2 innings out of the pen. One bright spot on the night was Luis De Paula striking out the side in order during the ninth.
Four members of the Kane County lineup closed the game with two hits as the Cougars finished with 12 as a team. Freudis Nova and Dawson collected two hits each for the River Bandits and their seven-hit attack.
The series finale is slated for Tuesday night at 6:35 p.m. On a Military Tuesday presented by Pepsi, all military personnel, veterans and their families receive $1 general admission tickets. It is also Health and Fitness Night sponsored by 7G Distributing with a bike giveaway. On the mound, RHP Jose Alberto Rivera (5-5, 4.21) will work for the River Bandits in a meeting with RHP Matt Tabor (5-4, 2.96) of the Kane County.
All River Bandits games are broadcast on 1170 K-BOB and TuneIn Radio. Home games are also available with video on MiLB.TV.