Bats Bounce Back, But Bandits’ Skid Stretches to Six

Cedar Rapids, Iowa – The Quad Cities River Bandits put up a series-high 11 hits, but dropped their sixth-straight game, as they were defeated by the Cedar Rapids Kernels 6-4 on Friday night at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

After being shut out in their previous two losses, Jack Pineda ensured that Quad Cities wouldn’t be blanked for a third consecutive game by launching a leadoff homer off C.J. Culpepper on the game’s first swing. It would be the first of a three-hit night for the shortstop.

Although the Kernels tied the game in the second on an error, the Bandits would again jump in front in the third on Carson Roccaforte’s RBI single that scored Omar Hernandez. Once again however, the lead wouldn’t last long as, in the bottom half of the frame, Kevin Maitan highlighted his Kernels debut with a two-run, go-ahead blast off Quad Cities’ starter Frank Mozzicato to put Cedar Rapids in front 3-2

The left-hander would return to the hill for a scoreless fourth inning, before handing the ball off to Oscar Rayo, who worked a scoreless fifth, but then saw his scoreless-inning streak snap at 8.2 frames when Jay Harry (two-run double) and Agustin Ruiz (one-run single) completed a two-out rally to extend the Kernels’ lead to 6-2

Quad Cities battled to trim the deficit to two with Brett Squires driving in Pineda in both the seventh and the eighth with a double and single respectively, but it would prove the extent of the Bandits’ rally, as Kyle Bischoff struck out Trevor Werner in the ninth to end the game with the game-tying runs on base.

Culpeper (1-0) earned his first win of the season for the Kernels, allowing two runs and striking out four in a 5.0-inning start, while Mozzicato (2-2) was saddled with the loss for QC, surrendering season-highs in runs (3), hits (5), and walks (5). Bischoff (2) earned a four-out save for his second of the year.

Juan Medez (2) took home a hold, completing a scoreless sixth inning as the first man to work out of the Kernels’ bullpen.

With their third-straight series loss already cemented, the River Bandits will look to snap their six-game skid on Saturday night behind Henry Williams (1-1, 3.41), who will start opposite Cedar Rapids’ Christian MacLeod (0-0, 4.50). First pitch at Veterans Memorial Stadium is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.