Bandits’ Bats Quieted in Saturday Night Loss

Davenport, Iowa – The Quad Cities River Bandits recorded just one extra-base hit on Saturday night, as they fell to Peoria Chiefs by a final of 8-2 at Modern Woodmen Park.

The Chiefs opened the scoring against Bandits’ starter Adrian Alcantara in the top of the third courtesy of Brady Whalen, who left the yard with a two-run homer in his first High-A at-bat of the season.

While Austin Love faced just two over the minimum and kept Quad Cities off the board through his first four innings, Tyler Reichenborn brought in a run with a fielder’s choice in the top of the fifth to move Peoria ahead 3-0.

Alcantara wouldn’t return for the sixth, allowing three runs on five hits, two walks, and five strikeouts in his fifth 5.0-inning start of the season.

After Parker Harm worked a one-two-three top of the sixth, the Bandits finally broke through against Love and plated Diego Hernandez’s two-out double on Herard Gonzalez’s RBI single one pitch later.

However, the Chiefs offense struck back for four runs in the top of the seventh against Harm with a bases loaded walk of Reichenborn followed by RBI singles off the bats of Jacob Buchberger and Osvaldo Tovalin against Chase Wallace, who recorded the final two outs of the frame.

Love closed out his season-high 7.0-inning, five-strikeout start with a double play in the seventh to face the minimum for his third time on the night.

With Quad Cities down 7-1, Gonzalez notched another RBI single, this time against Chris Roycroft, to score Rubendy Jaquez in the eighth, but even the concession run was responded to by Peoria, as Whalen homered to right against Anderson Paulino in the top of the ninth.

Levi Prater needed just nine pitches to close out the game in the bottom half, retiring Quad Cities with three-straight grounders.

Both starters factored into the decision, with Love (4-7) earning his fourth win of the season for Peoria, while Alcantara (2-5) took the loss.

Quad Cities will have another chance to win their series against the Chiefs on Sunday night, as Rylan Kaufman (1-3, 5.82) gets the ball for the series finale. Peoria’s Zane Mills (1-4, 5.40) is scheduled to make his second start of the series.

First pitch is set for 6:00pm at Modern Woodmen Park.