11 RUNS IN FINAL TWO AT-BATS PUNCTUATE SERIES WIN
Alvarez, Henderson homer in 14-5 win
DAVENPORT, Iowa – The River Bandits knocked off the Cougars in the rubber match of a three-game series with a 14-5 win on Sunday night at Modern Woodmen Park. The Bandits scored five runs in the seventh and six runs in the eighth to pull away. Yordan Alvarez and Ray Henderson both hit three-run homers in the win.
For the third straight day, Kane County (31-24) took an early lead over the Bandits (28-27). Ramon Hernandez drove home two runs with a single off Forrest Whitley in the first to give Kane County a 2-0 lead. Hernandez came to the plate with runners on in the third and wrapped into a double play to score another run, pushing the Cougars’ lead to 3-0. Quad Cities erased the deficit in the bottom of the third on an Alvarez three-run homer to right.
Both teams were held scoreless through the middle innings before the Bandits hung a crooked number with five runs in the seventh. Back-to-back RBI singles from Alvarez and Chuckie Robinson gave Quad Cities a 5-3 lead. Bandits’ third baseman Ray Henderson cleared the left field fence with a three-run homer. Jose Herrera doubled in the Cougars’ eighth to cut the score to 8-5 Bandits. The Bandits exploded for six runs in the eighth to put the game away.
Forrest Whitley received a no-decision after allowing three runs in three innings for Quad Cities. Carlos Sanabria (2-2) allowed two runs over three innings in tandem relief to pick up the win. Emilio Vargas lasted 5.2 innings in his start and yielded three runs, five hits and struck out 11. Sam Lewis allowed all five Bandits’ runs in the seventh. Lewis (0-1) took the loss. The combination of Jose Martinez and Kevin Ginkel allowed six runs in relief for the Cougars in the eighth.
BANDITS STYMIED BY COUGARS’ DUPLANTIER
Quad Cities’ loss sets up rubber match Sunday
DAVENPORT, Iowa – The River Bandits fell 5-2 to the Kane County Cougars on a warm Saturday night at Modern Woodmen Park. Cougars’ starter Jon Duplantier picked up the win for Kane County. Daz Cameron recorded two hits and reached base three times for Quad Cities.
Kane County (31-23) scored twice in the first inning. Marcus Wilson started the inning with a hit by pitch. The next batter Anfernee Grier laced a ball to right field for a single. Bandits’ rightfielder Carmen Benedetti misplayed the liner, allowing Wilson to score from first. After Mark Karaviotis singled to put runners at the corners with one out, Ramon Hernandez bounced into a double play to score a run, making it 2-0 Cougars. The Bandits (27-27) cut the two-run deficit in half with a solo home run by Osvaldo Duarte in the third. The Cougars responded with two runs in the fourth and another in the sixth to widen the lead to 5-1. Daz Cameron started the seventh with a double, advanced to third on an errant relay throw, then scored on a wild pitch to inch the Bandits closer at 5-2.
Duplantier (6-0) lasted 6.1 innings, allowed two runs, seven hits, struck out four and walked two. Wei-Chieh Huang bridged the bullpen for the Cougars with 1.2 innings of scoreless relief. Tommy Eveld worked a scoreless ninth to record his league-leading 11th save. Cionel Perez took the loss for the Bandits. Perez (3-3) surrendered five runs – three earned – on eight hits over 5.2 innings.
ROBINSON’S 8TH INNING GRAND SLAM POWERS BANDITS WIN
DAVENPORT, Iowa – The River Bandits erased a 4-0 deficit to knock off the Kane County Cougars 5-4 on Friday night in front of 6,404 fans at Modern Woodmen Park. Chuckie Robinson’s grand slam in the eighth inning proved to be the winning blast. Lucas Williams picked up his first win in relief.
Manny Jefferson collected RBI in back-to-back plate appearances to give Kane County (31-22) a 2-0 lead after four innings. Jefferson hit a fly ball to right field with one out in the second inning. Ronnie Dawson crashed into the wall to make the catch. Luis Silverio raced home from second base to make it 1-0 Cougars. Two innings later, Jefferson lined a single to left, making it 2-0 Kane County.
Kane County starting pitcher Curtis Taylor plowed through the Bandits lineup for six shutout innings, allowing only two hits and struck out eight. After Taylor exited, the Cougars tagged Bandits reliever Ronel Blanco for two seventh inning runs, extending the margin to 4-0. Quad Cities collected a run in the bottom of the seventh on a Ray Henderson RBI double. Cougars’ reliever Jake Winston allowed a lead off single to Jonathan Arauz to start the eighth inning, leading to a pitching change. Kane County called on Ryan Burr. Burr (1-2) struck out the first two men he saw, then walked the next two to load the bases. Robinson stepped to the plate for the Bandits and scorched a grand slam to left to give Quad Cities their first lead.
In the ninth, Anfernee Grier started the inning with a double. Lucas Williams retired the next two batters. Williams (1-1) threw a wild pitch with two outs, advancing Grier to third. With Silverio at the plate and the tying run at third, Ronnie Dawson made a diving catch in left to seal the Bandits win.
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