Comeback Falls Short in Bandits' Error-Filled Finale Loss

Appleton, Wisconsin – An eighth series win alluded the Quad Cities River Bandits on Sunday, as they fell to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers by a score of 4-3 at Neuroscience Field at Fox Cities Stadium in the final contest of a six-game set.

Christian Cosby, in his first River Bandits’ start of the year, and Freisis Adames kept both offenses in check through the first five innings, with Cosby facing one over the minimum through the third inning and working around a pair of errors until he surrendered his first base runner with a one out walk of Thomas Dillard in the fourth.

Aside from a Vinnie Pasquantino walk in the second and a Jimmy Govern single in the top of the fifth, Adames faced littler resistance of his own as the Bandits, who totaled 36 hits over the last two games, were held quiet.

In the bottom of the fifth, Cosby gave up a two-out double to Chad McClanahan and then a four-pitch walk to Korry Howell, but would strand both runners to conclude his longest outing of the year—a five inning start that saw him allow just three base runners while striking out one.

After Adames worked his final scoreless inning in the top of the sixth by stranding a Tucker Bradley walk, Wisconsin jumped on the board against Dante Biasi, who walked Joe Gray Jr. to start the inning and then on the very next pitch, allowed a two-run homer to Thomas Dillard to give the T-Rats a 2-0 lead.

Three batters later, with Je’Von Ward on second, the home squad scored again courtesy of the Bandits’ third error of the game, this time on Jake Means, which allowed Carlos Rodriguez bring in Ward from second and a now 3-0 Wisconsin advantage.

However, Quad Cities also found better luck against the bullpen, and after Pasquantino walked and Means singled to leadoff the seventh, Harold Chirino gave up a bases loaded two-run double by Govern to cut the Bandits’ deficit in half to 4-2.

With help from a Will Hancock sac-bunt and a John Rave infield single, pinch hitter Logan Porter made it a one-run game a few batters later and plated Eric Cole, who had reached on the game’s fifth error, to make it a one run difference.

In relief of Biasi, Will Klein struck out a pair in a scoreless bottom of the seventh, but Chirino would match by stranding a Pasquantino double in the top of the eighth.

Klein then worked his second shutout frame in the bottom of the eighth and stranded a leadoff single to Rodriquez, but Taylor Floyd dominated Quad Cities in the top of the ninth, and set down Govern, Hancock, and Rave in order to seal a 4-3 Wisconsin win, his season’s sixth save, and a split of the six-game series.

Adames (3-1) earned his third win of the season for the Timber Rattlers and gave up just two runs over six frames, while Biasi (2-1) absorbed his first loss of the campaign after giving up four runs, three earned, on three hits and two walks in one inning.

The River Bandits will begin the second leg of their 12-game road trip on Tuesday as they’ll be hosted at Pohlman Field by the Beloit Snappers, with first pitch for game one scheduled for 6:35 p.m. CDT.