Sloppy Play Plaques Bandits in Friday Night Loss  

*Davenport, Iowa *– A total of three errors and eight walks from River Bandits’ pitching led to a 14-7 loss against the South Bend Cubs on Friday night at Modern Woodmen Park.

The bottom four hitters in the Bandits’ lineup drove in all seven runs and tallied eight of the team’s 11 hits on the night.

Bandits’ starter Zach Haake returned to the Quad Cities and took the mound in a rehab outing nearly one year to the date of his six innings pitched in a combined no-hitter against South Bend. After a scoreless first inning, the Cubs got to Haake in the top of the second, knocking the Q.C. righthander out of the game after just 1.1 innings. The Q.C. right-hander took the loss and surrendered five runs (two earned) on five hits while walking two without recording a strikeout after 49 pitches.

Haake was replaced by Bandits’ lefty Caleb Monke who inherited a bases-loaded situation with one out and a 2-0 deficit. Monke walked the first batter he faced to drive in a run and got Cubs’ third baseman BJ Murray Jr to hit a deep fly ball to center fielder Diego Hernandez, scoring both runners from third and second base. The runner on first, second baseman Yeison Santana was thrown out by catcher Saul Garza on the play to end the inning with the Cubs up 5-0.

The Bandits got two runs back in the bottom half of the second to make it a 5-2 game with a two-run homer from Juan Carlos Negret off Cubs starter Jordan Wicks. The South Bend left-hander earned the win after 5.0 innings allowing two earned runs on six hits with no walks and six strikeouts.

South Bend answered quickly in the top of the third with their first three hitters reaching base on a fielding error from Garza, a double from designated hitter Jake Washer, and a walk by Jonathan Sierra. After a mound visit, Monke induced back-to-back fielder’s choices, each plating a run, before allowing an RBI single to shortstop Fabian Pertuz to push the Cubs’ lead to 8-2 heading into the bottom of the third.

Both teams were held scoreless until the bottom of the seventh when Bandits third baseman Morgan McCullough hit a solo homer off reliever Hunter Bigge to cut into the deficit, 8-3 after seven innings.

Monke finished his day allowing three runs, one earned, on three hits with two walks and three strikeouts across 3.2 innings, followed by 2.0 scoreless and hitless innings from reliever Harrison Beethe who walked one and struck out two.

Quad Cities left-hander Parker Harm made his High-A debut in the top of eighth and struggled to find command. He hit back-to-back batters, consecutive singles, and two consecutive walks to plate three more runs and push the Cubs’ lead, 11-3. Harm was replaced by Ruben Ramirez without recording an out and finished his night allowing five earned runs on two hits, two walks, and no strikeouts.

With the bases loaded and no outs, the Cubs scored on a fielding error from first baseman Dillan Shrum and a double play to extend their lead 13-3.

Quad Cities scored twice in the bottom of the eighth with a two-run homer from Garza, and got two more runs on a two-run homer from Parker Bates, who pitched and recorded the final two outs in the top of the ninth.

The Bandits will look to bounce back in the fifth game of the series Saturday night when right-hander Charlie Neuweiler (3-5, 5.68 ERA) takes the mound against Cubs’ righty Kohl Franklin (1-5, 11.14).

First pitch between the River Bandits and Cubs is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Modern Woodmen Park.