Bandits Hold Off Sky Carp For 50th Win

Beloit, Wisconsin – The Quad Cities River Bandits picked up their 50th win of the season on Thursday, taking down the Beloit Sky Carp 8-6 at ABC Stadium.

After a ten-run loss on Wednesday, the Bandits were the first on the board on Thursday, plating a pair of runs against Evan Fitterer on a bases loaded walk by Cam Williams and then a sacrifice-fly from Enrique Valdez in the bottom of the second.

In the third, the Bandits manufactured a 3-0 lead, as Herard Gonzalez scored on a double play off the bat of River Town.

William Fleming, Quad Cities’ starter, held Beloit to a pair of singles and a walk over his first 5.0 innings of work and saw his advantage grow even further in top of the fifth, when Enrique smacked his first-career High-A home run, a solo shot, before Juan Carlos Negret chased Fitterer from the game with an RBI single as part of a two-hit night.

Fleming remained in the game to begin the sixth, but ran into immediate trouble, allowing a walk, a single, and then a three-run homer to Zach Zubia, who cut Quad Cities’ lead to 5-3. Fleming would exit the game for Anthony Simonelli, who worked around a walk and ended the Sky Carp rally.

While Chris Mokma retired the first four men he faced out of the bullpen for Beloit, the Bandits’ offense surged back to life in the top of the seventh, plating three runs on doubles from Tyler Tolbert and River Town as well as a single from Herard Gonzalez to jump back in front by five, 8-3.

However, Beloit also struck with the bats in the bottom of the seventh, scoring a run on Bennett Hostetler’s RBI single and then another on a subsequent error. After a base hit from Zach Zubia that brought the tying run to the plate, Quad Cities called upon Charlie Neuweiler, who walked the first batter he faced to load the bases, Ynmanol Marinez, but struck out Brady Allen to end the threat.

After a scoreless eighth, in which Neuweiler struck out the side, the Sky Carp cut the Bandits’ lead to two, scoring a run on a Caden Monke wild pitch, but the left-hander would strand the tying run at the plate, getting Allen to fly out and securing his fourth save of the season in the process.

Fleming (2-4) earned the victory for Quad Cities, allowing three runs and striking out three in his 5.0-inning start, while Fitterer (4-7) got tagged with the loss for Beloit, surrendering five runs on seven hits and two walks in 4.2 innings of work.

The River Bandits will look to secure a split of the six-game set on Friday night at ABC Supply Stadium, as Rylan Kaufman (1-6, 5.18) gets the start against the Sky Carps’ Jake Walters (0-2, 5.14). First pitch is set for 6:35pm.