Five-run seventh earns Bandits game two win
CLINTON, Iowa – The River Bandits beat the LumberKings 6-1 in the second game of Thursday’s doubleheader at Ashford University Field. Abraham Toro-Hernandez homered in his first at-bat as a River Bandit. Salvador Montano earned the win out of relief.
The Bandits (21-12, 58-43) took a 1-0 lead on Abraham Toro-Hernandez’s solo homerun to lead off the third. In the sixth, the LumberKings (13-20, 44-56) collected back-to-back hits to start the inning. Clinton tied the score on Yojhan Quevedo’s sacrifice fly. The Bandits erupted for five runs in the top of the seventh. Ronnie Dawson’s two-run single broke the tie and gave Quad Cities a 3-1 lead. Daz Cameron scored on a wild pitch to make it 4-1. Marcos Almonte’s sacrifice fly and Ray Henderson’s RBI single padded the lead to 6-1.
Abdiel Saldana earned no decision. The righty lasted 5.2 innings, allowed one run, five hits, struck out four and walked two. Montano (3-2) earned the win. Montano recorded the final four outs in relief of Saldana. Michael Koval took the loss for Clinton. Koval (2-6) allowed five runs over 1.2 innings.
The River Bandits fell to the LumberKings 4-3 in game one of Thursday’s seven-inning doubleheader at Ashford University Field. Ljay Newsome earned the win for the LumberKings. Carmen Benedetti’s three-run homer, his fourth of the year, provided the Bandits offense.
The LumberKings scored twice in the second innings off of Carson LaRue. Jhombeyker Morales doubled in a run to make it 1-0 Clinton. Johnny Slater followed with a sacrifice fly to shallow center. Joe Rizzo doubled to start the Clinton third inning. Bandits’ shortstop Osvaldo Duarte committed a throwing error on a ball off the bat of Yojhan Quevedo, putting runners at 1st and 2nd with one out. Rizzo attempted to steal third and Bandits catcher Chuckie Robinson’s throw sailed to left field, placing runners at 2nd and 3rd. LaRue retired the next batter, but allowed a two-out single to Gareth Morgan to make it 4-0 Clinton. In the fifth, Chas McCormick singled and Ronnie Dawson reached on an error to set the table for Benedetti’s three-run homer, closing the advantage to 4-3 LumberKings.
LaRue (10-4) lasted three innings, allowing four runs (two earned) on four hits, while walking two and striking out three. Robert Corniel tossed three scoreless relief innings. All of Ljay Newsome’s runs allowed came on Benedetti’s homer. Newsome (6-8) picked up a win against the Bandits for the third time this year, allowing three runs over five innings of work. Wyatt Mills earned the two-inning save, his third of the season.
The finale of the three game series in Clinton takes place Friday night at 6:30 p.m. Bandits send RHP Cristian Javier (0-0, 3.60) to the mound against Clinton LHP Nick Wells (4-7, 6.50). Connor Onion has coverage beginning at 6:15 p.m. on 1170 AM KBOB and riverbandits.com.
