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Dixon Walks Off Loons in Series Finale

July 17, 2022

Davenport, Iowa – After losing a five-run lead, the Quad Cities River Bandits battled back to walk off the Great Lakes Loons with an 8-7 win in the series finale on Sunday at Modern Woodmen Park. A ninth-inning rally was capped off by a one-out, RBI sac fly from left

Davenport, Iowa – After losing a five-run lead, the Quad Cities River Bandits battled back to walk off the Great Lakes Loons with an 8-7 win in the series finale on Sunday at Modern Woodmen Park.

A ninth-inning rally was capped off by a one-out, RBI sac fly from left fielder Burle Dixon who plated shortstop Tyler Tolbert to win the game. Tolbert began the inning with a leadoff walk and stole both second and third before scoring the winning run.

Quad Cities’ reliever Kasey Kalich picked up his third win of the season, tossing two scoreless innings, allowing one hit while walking two and striking out one. Loons’ reliever Jeff Belge took the loss after giving up the game-winning run in his lone innings of relief.

Offensively, the Bandits picked up where they left off in the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader. Quad Cities scored seven runs in the first four innings. After trailing 1-0 after the top of the first, the Bandits answered in the bottom half with a bases-loaded walk from Tolbert to tie the game.

After falling behind 2-1, Quad Cities added four more runs in the bottom of the third, chasing Loons starting pitcher Kendall Williams after he recorded just six outs. The scoring barrage began with an RBI double from designated hitter Luca Tresh, followed by back-to-back RBI singles from Tolbert and catcher Kale Emshoff, and an RBI sac fly from Dixon to put the Bandits ahead 7-2 after three innings.

Quad Cities starting pitcher Charlie Neuweiler tossed 5.0 innings, allowing four earned runs off eight hits, two walks while striking out three.

With a 7-4 lead entering the top of the sixth, Caden Monke took over in relief for the Bandits and pitched 2.0 perfect innings, retiring all six batters faced and recording one strikeout. Right-hander Harrison Beethe struggled to hold the three-run lead in the top of the eighth, giving up three earned runs on one hit and three walks, without recording an out.

After Beethe walked in a run, Kalich inherited a bases-loaded, no-out scenario before giving up a game-tying two run single to Loon’s right-fielder Edwin Mateo. Kalich kept Great Lakes in check, striking out the next batter, inducing a lineout, walk, and flyout, respectively, to end the frame with the game tied 7-7.

The Bandits were set down in order in the bottom of the eighth before Kalich walked the leadoff man to begin the top of the ninth. The righty escaped the inning retiring the next three batters before setting up a walk-off scenario for Quad Cities.

Tolbert's leadoff ninth-inning walk was followed by a steal of second and a walk of the next batter, Emshoff. With first baseman Dillan Shrum up to bat with two on and no one out, Tolbert swiped third base for his 38th steal of the season (2nd MWL).

Shrum struck out, to bring Dixon up to the plate with a chance to win the game. After falling behind in the count 0-2, Dixon battled back in a seven-pitch at-bat before delivering the game-winning sacrifice fly.

The win improves the Bandits second-half record to 7-14 as they enter the Midwest League All-Star break.

Up next for Quad Cities is a nine-game road trip beginning with three games against the South Bend Cubs on July 22nd. First pitch between the River Bandits and Cubs is scheduled for 7:05pm at Four Winds Field.