Hawks Drop Game Two of Midwest League Championship Series, 5-0

A dominant performance by the Quad Cities pitching staff was the story on Thursday night. Three pitchers combining for a six-hit shutout as the River Bandits took a 2-0 lead in the Midwest League Championship Series with a 5-0 victory over the South Bend Silver Hawks. Joe Bircher threw five scoreless innings to start the game and Jamaine Cotton retired nine straight over three innings of work with six strikeouts to lead the River Bandits' staff.

Quad Cities, the Class-A affiliate of the Houston Astros, dominated the game from start to finish. The River Bandits took an early lead as they plated a run in the top of the second against Hawks starter Blake Perry (L, 0-1). With one out, former Silver Hawk Bobby Borchering crushed a 1-0 pitch from Perry over the right-center field wall and off the scoreboard for a 1-0 Quad Cities lead.

South Bend, the Class-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks, threatened to tie the game in the bottom of the second. First baseman Rudy Flores led off by punching an 0-2 pitch from Quad Cities starter Joe Bircher (W, 2-0) into left field for a single. Second baseman Fidel Pena followed with a line drive single to left to put runners at first and second with no outs. Catcher Roidany Aguila flew out to center for the first out of the inning and Flores tagged up on the play to advance to third. The Hawks went for the safety squeeze and while right fielder Mike Lang got the bunt down, it was right at River Bandits' first baseman Borchering who fired to the plate to get Flores for the second out of the inning. With runners now at first and second and two outs, designated hitter Michael Perez cued a weak groundball in front of the plate and was retired 2-3 at first to end the inning with the River Bandits ahead 1-0.

Perry's control deserted him in the fourth inning and the River Bandits took advantage to put Game 2 out of reach. After striking out shortstop Carlos Correa, the #1 overall pick in the 2012 MLB Draft, Perry walked left fielder Danry Vasquez. With Borchering at the plate, Perry tossed wild pitches that advance Vasquez to second and then to third. The eleventh pitch to Borchering was not just ball four but also went to the backstop, allowing Vasquez to score on the third wild pitch of the at-bat. Third baseman Rio Ruiz then continued his stellar series, lacing a double over the head of Chuck Taylor in left that scored Borchering all the way from first for a 3-0 River Bandits lead.

That was the end of the line for Perry as Jesse Darrah came out of the bullpen for his first action of the Midwest League Playoffs. Perry threw three and a third innings and allowed four earned runs on three hits, two walks, and three wild pitches. As Darrah was facing catcher Roberto Pena, Ruiz promptly stole third. Pena walked to put runners at first and third. Quad Cities was then able to successfully execute a safety squeeze as right fielder Jordan Scott got the bunt down and Ruiz scored for a 4-0 lead. Scott was retired on the play 1-4 at first for the second out of the inning. Designated hitter Brian Blasik hit a sharp grounder down the line that Hawks third baseman Brandon Drury snagged on its way to the outfield before turning and firing to gun down Blasik at first.