Bandits Pop Kernels 12-2 on Free Admission Night

Davenport, Iowa – Behind a season-high run total, the Quad Cities River Bandits topped the Cedar Rapids Kernels 12-2 on Wednesday at Modern Woodmen Park to even the seven-game set at one game apiece.

For the third-straight ballgame, Quad Cities scored the first run of the game and did so with a string of five consecutive hits concluding with an RBI single for Gavin Cross and a two-run ground rule double off the bat of Carter Jensen for a 3-0 lead.

While Cedar Rapids would respond with a run in the top of the second—an RBI single from Charles Mack—it would be the only run allowed by River Bandits’ starter Luinder Avila. The right-hander tossed a season-long 6.0 innings and struck out four en route to his first quality start of the season.

After the Bandits got a run on a Jose Salas error in the third to go up 4-1, Kernels starter Orlando Rodriguez settled down to retire the next six Bandits hitters to complete his 4.0-inning night.

The sixth inning would see Quad Cities explode out to a ten-run lead thanks to a seven-run frame. The Bandits brought 13 batters to the plate and tallied runs on RBI singles from Javier Vaz, River Town, and Jack Pineda, while Jack Alexander plated two with a double to make it 11-1 Bandits.

Town knocked in his third RBI of the game for a 12-1 lead with a second RBI single in the eighth.

Out of the bullpen, Cruz Noriega and Jack McMillon made their High-A debuts for the Bandits, with Noriega striking out three in 2.0-hitless frames in his first appearance since 2021, while McMillon struck out the side in the top of the ninth despite allowing a run-scoring single to Noah Cardenas.

Avila (2-1) earned his second win of the season for Quad Cities, allowing his lone run on four hits and two walks, while Rodriguez (2-1) was pegged with his first loss for Cedar Rapids, surrendering four runs, three earned, on five hits, three walks, and five strikeouts.

Quad Cities will look to take their first lead of the series tomorrow night as the host the Kernels for a doubleheader at Modern Woodmen Park. William Fleming (1-2, 4.76) and Eric Cerantola (0-3, 6.86) are slated to get starts for the Bandits, while Pierson Ohl (2-1, 2.25) and Mike Paredes (0-0, 2.00) will get the starts for Cedar Rapids. First pitch for game one is scheduled for 5:00pm.