Mitchell, Ramirez Go Back-To-Back; Bandits Blast Rattlers for First Win

Davenport, Iowa – Two of baseball’s top catching prospects launched back-to-back home runs Thursday night, as Blake Mitchell and Ramon Ramirez helped fuel the Quad Cities River Bandits’ 11-1 rout of the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers for the club’s first win of the season.

Despite consistent rainfall and after totaling just one run through their first 18 innings of the season, the Bandits needed just three batters to take a 3-0 lead against Wisconsin starter Ethan Dorchies, with Ramirez’s solo shot, and first at the High-A level, following Mitchell’s two-run blast, his second in as many nights.

The power surge was just the beginning of Quad Cities’ first-inning rally, as the Bandits brought 11 hitters to the plate in the opening frame and pushed their lead to 5-0 after RBI-singles from Derlin Figueroa and Erick Torres.

Wisconsin got one run back in the second, tagging Quad Cities’ starter Emmanuel Reyes for a run on Luis Castillo’s RBI-fielder’s choice, but it would wind up their lone tally of the night, with Reyes rebounding for a scoreless third thanks to help from one of the Bandits’ three double plays.

Cory Ronan took over for Reyes in the fourth and tossed consecutive perfect frames in his season debut, before Yimi Presinal made his first appearance at the High-A level and matched the lefty with 2.0-scorelesss frames of his own, plus three strikeouts.

While their relievers held Wisconsin’s bats at bay, the Bandits lineup erupted for a six-run frame in the seventh. Tagging reliever Bryan Rivera for all six tallies, Quad Cities batted around for a second time and got RBI-singles from Jose Cerice and Tyriq Kemp, and a two-run double courtesy of Austin Charles.

The Bandits finished the night 6-for-14 with runners in scoring position after failing to record one in their first 16 chances of the season.

Working with the 11-1 advantage, reliever Augusto Mendieta took advantage of the cushion and attacked Rattlers hitters to the tune of five strikeouts over 2.0 perfect innings to close out the game.

The right-hander’s zeros punctuated a scoreless, one-hit, 10-strikeout effort from Quad Cities’ bullpen.

Ronan (1-0)’s effort earned the win for the Bandits, while Dorchies (0-1) was saddled with the loss after allowing five runs on seven hits over a 2.1-inning start.

Quad Cities returns to Modern Woodmen Park for game four of the six-game set tomorrow night, with right-hander Aiden Jimenez (0-0, 0.00) set to make his professional against former Brewers’ second-round pick Bryce Meccage (0-0, 10.31). First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.