Timely Hits Bolster Bandits’ Win Over Cubs
Davenport, Iowa – The Quad Cities River Bandits had six hits with runners in scoring position on Thursday night, as they topped the South Bend Cubs 8-3 at Modern Woodmen Park. For the first time in the series, the Bandits were the ones to open the scoring and got a
Davenport, Iowa – The Quad Cities River Bandits had six hits with runners in scoring position on Thursday night, as they topped the South Bend Cubs 8-3 at Modern Woodmen Park.
For the first time in the series, the Bandits were the ones to open the scoring and got a lift from Saul Garza, who returned to the Bandits’ lineup for the first time since April and drove a two-run double to left off of Daniel Palencia in the second before Rubendy Jaquez made it a 3-0 lead with an RBI single.
Quad Cities’ starter, Rylan Kaufman, faced one over the minimum in his first three frames, but gave up a run on an Owen Caissie groundout in the fourth as the only blemish in his 5.0-inning start that featured six strikeouts.
Palencia also went five innings for the Cubs, allowing the three runs in the second.
After Kasey Kalich and Riley Martin combined for a scoreless sixth, the Cubs tied the game 3-3 on Fabian Pertuz’s two-out, two-run double in the top of the seventh, but the Bandits responded in their half, scoring Parker Bates—who led off the inning with a triple—on Jaquez’s second RBI single of the game.
Kalich gave the Bandits one more one-two-three frame in the top of the eighth to keep it a one-run game, but Quad Cities broke the score open against Zac Leigh in the bottom of the inning with Saul Garza driving in his third run of the game on a single and Juan Carlos Negret making it a five-run Bandits’ lead with a two-out, three-run home run for his eighth of the season.
Emilio Marquez pitched the ninth for Quad Cities and stranded a one-out single to end the game.
The win went to Kalich (2-2) who, despite blowing a save, earned his second out of the bullpen this season, while Martin (3-3) was tagged with the loss on one run his 2.0-inning relief effort.
Quad Cities will look to secure a split of the series in game four of the set tomorrow at Modern Woodmen Park. Jordan Wicks (0-3) will get the ball for South Bend, while Quad Cities’ starter has yet to be announced. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30pm.