Bullpen Grounds Sky Carp in Bandits Win

Davenport, Iowa – The Quad Cities River Bandits snapped a three-game losing streak on Thursday, as their bullpen combined for 5.0-scoreless innings to help top the Beloit Sky Carp 5-4 at Modern Woodmen Park.

Beloit jumped out to an early lead 4-0 against Quad Cities’ starter Cruz Noriega, who allowed back-to-back RBI doubles to Chase Luttrell and Ynmanol Marinez in the second and a two-run homer to Jake Thompson in the third.

The Bandits broke into the run column in the bottom of the third and quickly cut the deficit to three on a solo shot from Jean Ramirez, his first-career High-A homer, but it was the only tally they would plate against Sky Carp starter Ike Buxton, who departed in line for the win after a 5.0-frame outing.

After Cooper McKeehan kept Beloit off the board in the fifth and sixth, Cities took the take the lead with a four-run bottom half against Franklin Sanchez, plating a run on a wild pitch and an error to trim the Beloit advantage to one, before Shervyen Newton tied the game with an RBI single and Herard Gonzalez made it 5-4 with a sacrifice-fly.

Ben Wereski took over on the hill for Quad Cities and pitched a scoreless seventh and eighth, stranding the tying and go-ahead runs on base in the latter to earn a hold.

In the ninth, Anthony Simonelli used just nine pitches to twirl a perfect save for his fourth in as many opportunities this season.

Three days after his first High-A loss, McKeehan (1-1) earned his first win for Quad Cities, striking out two and allowing just one walk in 2.0-scoreless frames of relief. Franklin Sanchez (3-1) took the loss for Beloit, allowing four runs, three earned, without recording an out in the sixth.

The River Bandits will look to even the series at two games apiece on Friday, as they send the Royals top pitching prospect, Ben Kudrna (0-3, 6.27) for a start against the Sky Carp’s Cade Gibson (2-7, 6.10). First pitch at Modern Woodmen Park is set for 6:30 p.m.