Burlington takes seven-inning Game 1, 4-2, and Quad Cities rallies for 7-6 win in 12-inning Game 2
DAVENPORT, Iowa (April 26, 2015) - Within a strike of being swept in a home doubleheader Sunday, the Quad Cities River Bandits got a seventh-inning, game-tying RBI single by left fielder Jorge Martinez, and a walk-off sacrifice fly by shortstop Thomas Lindauer in the 12th inning of a 7-6 Game 2 win that gained the club a split with the Burlington Bees in front of 1,955 at Modern Woodmen Park.
After dropping a 4-2, seven-inning final in Game 1 Sunday afternoon for their first consecutive losses of the season, the first-place River Bandits (13-5) overcame deficits of 2-1, 5-4 and 6-5 for their first walk-off win of the season, which gave them a two-game lead over Burlington (11-7) and Cedar Rapids (11-7) in the Western Division standings.
Burlington held the lead for all of Game 1 after a two-out, two-run double by catcher Wade Wass in the first inning against River Bandits left-hander Chris Lee (0-2). Quad Cities scored on a first-inning RBI single by third baseman Nick Tanielu, but the Bees extended the lead to 3-1 on an RBI single by first baseman Ryan Seiz in the third inning against Lee, who allowed three earned runs on five hits and three walks with three strikeouts in the first four innings. Right-hander Eric Peterson gave Quad Cities 2 1/3 relief innings but yielded an RBI double in the seventh inning to Wass before left-hander Albert Minnis got the final two outs to keep the River Bandits within 4-2. Bees right-hander Michael Bolaski (1-2) held Quad Cities to two earned runs on five hits and one walk with two strikeouts in six innings to earn the win, and right-hander Eduardo Paredes struck out the side in the seventh inning for his Midwest League-leading fourth save.
In the second game, the River Bandits took the lead in the first inning, as center fielder Bobby Boyd began his three-hit game with a single and eventually scored on Tanielu's RBI single against right-hander Justin Anderson. But the Bees never trailed for more than a half inning against River Bandits right-hander Kevin Comer. In the second inning, right fielder Natanael Delgado singled and scored when Martinez misplayed Seiz's double in left field. Bees left fielder Exicardo Cayones singled home Seiz for a 2-1 Burlington lead.
The River Bandits retook the lead in the third inning, when designated hitter Jamie Ritchie walked, went to second base on a sacrifice and scored following singles by Tanielu and catcher Alfredo Gonzalez. First baseman Bryan Muñiz later capped the three-run inning with a two-out, two-run, go-ahead double to left field. Trailing 4-2, the Bees answered in the top of the fourth inning by putting the first four batters on base with three singles and a hit batter. Cayones hit an RBI single, and a ground-ball double play tied the game before a wild pitch scored the go-ahead run. The River Bandits retied the game in the bottom of the inning, as Boyd doubled and scored on Ritchie's RBI single to chase Anderson, who yielded five earned runs on eight hits and two walks with two strikeouts in 3 1/3 innings.
Bees second baseman Andrew Daniel broke the 5-5 tie with a fifth-inning, leadoff home run off Comer, who lasted 5 2/3 innings, allowing six earned runs on a career-high 11 hits with two strikeouts. Quad Cities relievers followed with 6 1/3 scoreless innings from right-handers Keegan Yuhl (2 1/3), Ryan Thompson (3) and Jose Montero (1), who earned his first win by working around two walks in the 12th inning.
After 2 2/3 scoreless innings by Bees right-hander Ronnie Muck, right-hander Jordan Piche got the first two outs in the seventh inning before right fielder Ryan Bottger, Muñiz and Martinez hit consecutive singles to tie the game, 6-6. With the winning run at third base, Piche got Lindauer to ground out to end the inning. The bullpens dueled until the bottom of the 12th inning, when Bees right-hander Alex Klonowski (0-2) allowed a leadoff base hit by Gonzalez, who gained a triple when center fielder Michael Hermosillo stumbled and did not reach the ball before it went to the wall. Two intentional walks around a groundout loaded the bases with one out, before Lindauer flied to right field, and Gonzalez beat Delgado's throw home for the winning run - six hours and 20 minutes after the doubleheader began.
After the first league-wide scheduled off day Monday, the River Bandits open a three-game series with Cedar Rapids at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Modern Woodmen Park. River Bandits left-hander Bryan Radziewski (1-0) is scheduled to face Kernels right-hander Jared Wilson (2-0).
UP NEXT: Participants in the Book Buddies program will be at Modern Woodmen Park for the 11 a.m. game Tuesday. Dew for Twosday presented by Pepsi, WOC and Q106.5 means all regular tickets are buy-one-get-one free, and fans who bring an old can of Mountain Dew to the ballpark can receive a voucher for a free 16-ounce Mountain Dew. 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.
