Stupienski's Slam, Bullpen Clinch Bandits' Top Postseason Seed

Davenport, Iowa – After claiming a playoff birth in a losing effort on Tuesday, the Quad Cities River Bandits beat the Peoria Chiefs 9-3 on Wednesday night to secure the top seed in the High-A Central Playoffs.

Despite working a scoreless top of the first, including a pair of strikeouts, Anderson Paulino’s first River Bandits’ start lasted just five batters, as Todd Lott’s comebacker in the top of the second ricocheted off of the righty and forced him from the game.

After Mitch Ellis took over out of the Bandits’ bullpen and kept the game scoreless through two and a half, Quad Cities ended a streak of six-in-a-row set down by Peoria starter Connor Lunn and got a leadoff single from Eric Cole in the bottom of the third. Although Lunn retired the next two batters he faced, Maikel Garcia notched the first run of the ballgame with an RBI triple to center field.

Two batters later, Michael Massey struck for his second RBI double in as many games and brought home Garcia to put the Bandits on top 2-0.

Now working with the lead, Ellis retired the side in order in the fourth and matched his season-high five strikeouts with a pair in the frame, before the Chiefs loaded the bases with no one out in the fifth. However, the reliever traded a run for two outs and got Masyn Winn to bounce into a 6-4-3 double play that brought in Thomas Francisco. Despite Ellis walking Jordan Walker to put the go-ahead run on base, Caden Monke entered the game for Quad Cities and struck out Jhon Torres to end the rally.

With his team’s lead cut to one, Garcia again came through for the River Bandits and took advantage of Gavin Stupienski’s leadoff walk by launching a two-run opposite field home run against Lunn for his third blast of the season and a 4-1 Q.C. lead.

Monke remained on the hill for the Bandits in the top of the sixth and retired the heart of the Peoria order one-two-three before his offense exploded against newly entered Fabian Blanco in the bottom half.

With Logan Porter and John Rave both walking to begin the frame, Blanco found himself with the bases loaded and no one out when he bobbled Nathan Eaton’s ground ball, allowing him to reach. Cole then picked up his second hit of the game and drove in Porter with an RBI single, but it was the towering grand slam home run by Stupienski that blew open the Quad Cities’ lead, as the designated hitter’s fourth homer of the season made it 9-1.

Monke and Will Klein each gave up a Chief’s base runner in the seventh and eighth innings, however worked scoreless frames along with Peoria’s Jacob Schlesener and Leonardo Taveras.

Klein surrendered a two-run homer to Zade Richardson with two outs in the top of the ninth to make it 9-3, but the righty struck out Matt Chamberlain to end ballgame.

Thanks to a career-high 3.2 innings of relief work, Ellis (7-2) earned the win for Quad Cities, while Lunn (5-8), who gave up four earned runs in his five-inning start, took the loss for Peoria.

The River Bandits will look to take the lead in the six-game series on Thursday night and will work behind Charlie Neuweiler (2-2, 5.63), while Wilfredo Pereira (3-8, 3.43) gets the start for Peoria.

Having claimed the top seed in the High-A Central Playoffs, Quad Cities has earned home-field advantage for the five-game championship series, beginning on September 21. Tickets will go on sale for game three of the series on Tuesday, September 14 at 10:00 a.m. CDT. Tickets for games four and five will become available if necessary. The full postseason schedule is below.

Game 1 (at TBD): 9/21

Game 2 (at TBD): 9/22

Game 3 (vs TBD, at Modern Woodmen Park, Sponsored By: Richards Building Supply): 9/24, 6:30 p.m.

Game 4 (vs TBD, at Modern Woodmen Park): 9/25, 6:30 p.m. *IF NECESSARY*

Game 5 (vs TBD, at Modern Woodmen Park): 9/26, 6:30 p.m. *IF NECESSARY*