Four-Run Ninth Sinks Bandits on Friday Night

Davenport, Iowa – The Quad Cities River Bandits took a three-run lead into the ninth inning on Friday, but fell to the Peoria Chiefs by a final score of 7-6 at Modern Woodmen Park.

Just as they had done one night previously, Quad Cities scored in the first inning to take an early lead, jumping in front 2-0 against Zane Mills on RBI singles from Peyton Wilson and River Town.

After the Chiefs got their first run on a Todd Lott single in the top of the third, the Bandits didn’t wait long to retake a two-run lead, as Dillan Shrum homered for the third-straight game and put Q.C. in front 3-1 with a solo shot.

Despite allowing the run in the third, Bandits’ starter Rylan Kaufman faced only one over the minimum through his first four innings of work, including three strikeouts, and allowed just one more run on a wild pitch in the fifth, before stranding four men in scoring position over his next four outs.

With 6.0 innings of two-run ball, Kaufman completed his day in line for the win, grabbing four strikeouts and his fourth quality start of the season in the process.

After Kaufman departed, Quad Cities’ bats provided the bullpen with additional breathing room in the bottom of the sixth, scoring two runs against Edgar Manzo on a Tyler Tolbert RBI single and Juan Carlos Negret’s bases loaded walk to take a 5-2 lead.

In the seventh, Peoria scratched across a run against Chase Wallace on Ramon Mendoza’s RBI single, but the Bandits would again answer, moving up 6-3 in the bottom of the eighth on Town’s second RBI poke of the night, a single against Leonardo Taveras.

Having worked a one-two-three top of the eighth, Parker Harm returned for the ninth inning, looking for his first save of the season; and after walking Tyler Reichenborn and watching Francisco Hernandez reach on an error, struck out Tommy Jew for the first out.

The next batter however, Lott, would also reach on an error, which allowed Reichenborn to score from third, making it a two-run game.

After a strikeout of Mendoza to bring Quad Cities on out away from a victory, Jacob Buchberger and LJ Jones each ended hitless nights with a game-tying two-run double and a go-ahead RBI single respectively, moving Peoria on top 7-6 for their first lead of the contest.

Although Harm would end the rally by striking out Osvaldo Tovalin, keeping Quad Cities’ deficit at one, Jack Ralston shut down the Bandits in order in the bottom of the ninth to seal Peoria’s comeback victory.

Ralston (1-0) earned his first win of the season, striking out three in 1.1 innings out of the Chiefs’ bullpen, while Harm (0-2, 1) took the loss and a blown save for Quad Cities, giving up four unearned runs in 2.0 frames.

The River Bandits will try to secure their third win of the series on Saturday, their penultimate game of the season, with Beck Way (3-3, 3.31) getting the start against Peoria’s Austin Love (7-12, 5.70). First pitch is scheduled for 6:30pm at Modern Woodmen Park.