Jones Completes Quality Start; Bandits Fall to Sky Carp

Beloit, Wisconsin – Tanner Jones turned in his second-straight quality start Tuesday, but the Quad Cities River Bandits (24-31) dropped their series-opener against the Beloit Sky Carp (25-32) 6-4 at ABC Supply Stadium.

Quad Cities got its right-hander out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning courtesy of Asbel Gonzalez, who singled, stole second, advanced to third on an error, and then scored on a wild pitch by Sky Carp starter Carson Laws.

Emilio Barreras’ RBI-double tied the game in the home half of the opening frame, but Jose Cerice put the River Bandits back in front 2-1 in the third, driving in Luke Pelzer with a sacrifice fly.

Brandon Compton tagged Jones for his final runs in the third, launching Beloit to its first lead of the game, 3-2, with a two-run homer.

Jones worked through the final half of his start scorelessly and racked up four of his night’s five strikeouts during the stretch.

After Laws allowed a leadoff single to Nolan Sailors and a walk to Asbel Gonzalez to begin the top of the fifth, Quad Cities tied the game and took the lead against former River Bandit Jesus Rios. Ramon Ramirez knotted the score at 3-3 bringing in a run on a double play ball before Pelzer smacked a two-out RBI-single into left to push Quad Cities ahead 4-3.

Pelzer leads Minor League Baseball, batting .586 (17-for-29) with two outs and runners in scoring position (min. 20 plate appearances).

Following Jones’ departure, Josh Hansell took over in the seventh, but saw Dillon Head tie the game with a two-run triple, before Brandon Compton made it a 6-4 Sky Carp lead with an RBI-single.

LP Langevin relieved Hansell for the eighth and pitched a perfect frame, including a strikeout, but the duo of Beloit’s Luis De La Cruz (2.0 IP, 1 SO) and Juan Reynoso (1.0 IP, 1 SO, save) secured the Sky Carp win, not allowing Quad Cities a base runner over the final three innings of the game.

De La Cruz (1-1) earned his first High-A victory for Beloit, completing a perfect seventh and eighth inning, while Hansell (1-6) was charged with a blown save and the loss, surrendering three runs in the seventh inning.

Quad Cities returns to ABC Supply Stadium for game two of the six-game series tomorrow night and sends Aiden Jimenez (1-3, 4.95) to the mound opposite Beloit’s Joey Volini (0-0, 3.86). First pitch is set for 6:05 p.m.