20
Apr
2015
Dykxhoorn wins second straight home start to help Quad Cities maintain the Midwest League's best record
DAVENPORT, Iowa (April 19, 2015) - After falling behind 2-0 in the top of the first inning Sunday afternoon, the Quad Cities River Bandits shut out the Kane County Cougars for the next eight innings and got the first home runs of the season from first baseman Jamie Ritchie and designated hitter Jose Martinez among 12 hits in a 7-2 victory in front of 2,290 at Modern Woodmen Park.
Holding onto first place in the Midwest League Western Division for the second straight day, the River Bandits (9-2) have their best 11-game start to the season and have won their first five home games for the first time since 2010.
Kane County (3-8) took the lead with a two-out rally in the first inning against right-hander Brock Dykxhoorn (2-0). Third baseman Marty Herum reached on an infield single fielded by shortstop Mott Hyde behind second base. Left fielder Grant Heyman then bounced a triple down the first-base line to score Herum. A passed ball by catcher Alfredo Gonzalez allowed Heyman to score to make it 2-0.
Following the two first-inning runs, Dykxhoorn faced the minimum number of batters until two outs in the fifth inning, when he allowed consecutive singles to designated hitter Josh Elander and right fielder Victor Reyes before Cougars center fielder Colin Bray fouled out to third baseman Nick Tanielu who tumbled into the first row of the third-base bleachers to make the catch. Dykxhoorn worked around his only two walks in the sixth inning to last a career-high six innings, allowing two runs - one earned - on four hits with four strikeouts.
Cougars right-hander Brent Jones (0-2) kept the home team off the scoreboard until the second inning. Hyde hit a one-out single up the middle, and Gonzalez walked. Two batters later, second baseman Kristian Trompiz hit a two-out single to left field that scored Hyde, but Trompiz running toward second base forced Gonzalez into an inning-ending rundown.
Ritchie tied the game in the third inning with a one-out solo home run to the Miller Lite Party Deck off a 3-2 pitch from Jones. The 2-2 tie remained until the bottom of the fifth inning, when Martinez led off by smacking a 2-2 offering to the Built Ford Tough Deck for his first Midwest League home run since Aug. 24, 2013, when he was with Lake County in the Cleveland Indians organization. Jones worked around singles by Trompiz and Ritchie later in the inning by getting Tanielu to fly out to center field, with Ritchie being doubled off first.
Leading 3-2, Quad Cities broke the game open in the sixth inning. Right fielder Ryan Bottger lined a hit to right field, where Victor Reyes' mis-timed dive allowed the ball to get to the outfield wall and Bottger to reach third base. With the infield in, left fielder Sean McMullen popped up to shallow left field, where Cougars shortstop Fernery Ozuna made a diving catch with his back to the infield, but Bottger beat the throw home to extend the lead to 4-2. Hyde then doubled to left field, ending Jones' outing and drawing right-hander Bud Jeter from the Kane County bullpen. A wild pitch put Hyde at third base, and he beat a throw to home plate when Gonzalez grounded to Herum along the third-base line. Martinez followed with a double to left-center field, and Trompiz drove in Gonzalez and Martinez with a double to left-center field for a 7-2 lead. A day after his first Midwest League home run, Trompiz matched career highs with three hits and three RBIs.
With a five-run lead, River Bandits right-hander Ryan Thompson began the seventh inning and retired the first five batters he faced. He finished two scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out three batters. In the ninth inning, right-hander Eric Peterson allowed a leadoff double to Heyman before retiring the next three batters.
The River Bandits conclude their series with Kane County at 7 p.m. Monday at Modern Woodmen Park. River Bandits right-hander Kevin Comer (2-0) is scheduled to face Cougars left-hander Jared Miller (1-1).
UP NEXT: Frankie Valli from the Broadway show "Jersey Boys" will sing the National Anthem before Monday's 7 p.m. game. Gates open at 6 p.m. Military personnel - active and retired - can show ID at the box office to purchase up to four tickets for just $1 each on Military Monday presented by Performance Food Group, 97X and ESPN 93.5. Individual tickets are on sale at the River Bandits box office and online at riverbandits.com. Ticket plans of 12 to 70 games - which include free parking, reserved seats, merchandise discounts, and guaranteed giveaways - are available by calling 563-324-3000.
ABOUT THE BANDITS: The River Bandits ownership in 2014 made one of the biggest improvements to Modern Woodmen Park since the ballpark was first built back in 1931! A new Ferris wheel, standing 105 feet over the playing field, opened May 24, Space Camp opened June 20; the new Drop'N Twist debuted in July; and the newly expanded 300-foot long zip line also reopened.
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