Rio Ruiz drives in all three Quad Cities runs with two-run home run and RBI double
BELOIT, Wis. (JUNE 1, 2013) - The Beloit Snappers hit three home runs and posted 16 hits Saturday night against the Quad Cities River Bandits, who had their six-game winning streak halted by a 10-3 loss to their hosts at Pohlman Field.
Beloit (32-23) widened its lead over Quad Cities (30-24) to 1 ½ games for second place in the Midwest League Western Division and won for the fifth time in six games against the River Bandits this season.
The Snappers broke a scoreless tie with a four-run third inning against right-hander Jamaine Cotton (0-2). With two outs and the bases empty, shortstop Daniel Robertson hit an opposite-field home run to right field for a 1-0 lead, starting a run of six consecutive batters to reach safely against Cotton. Catcher Bruce Maxwell walked, third baseman Renato Nunez doubled, first baseman Matt Olson hit a two-run single, and right fielder John Wooten singled, resulting in a run when center fielder Teoscar Hernandez overran the ball. Designated hitter Christopher Bostick doubled to chase Cotton, who allowed seven hits and four earned runs while walking two batters and striking out two in 2 2/3 innings.
Right-hander Richard Rodriguez got the final out to send Quad Cities to the fourth inning with a 4-0 deficit. In the fourth inning against right-hander Michael Ynoa, designated hitter Miles Hamblin singled, and third baseman Rio Ruiz hit a two-run home run to right field - his third of the season that made it 4-2. After Ryan Mathews extended Beloit's lead to 5-2 in the fourth inning against Rodriguez with his second home run in as many games, Ruiz brought the River Bandits within 5-3 with a sixth-inning RBI double against right-hander Andres Avila (1-1), who started the sixth inning and allowed one earned run on four hits with four walks and one strikeout over the final four innings.
Quad Cities came closest to tying the game in the seventh inning against Avila. Right fielder Ariel Ovando singled, second baseman Austin Elkins grounded into a fielder's choice, left fielder Jordan Scott singled, and Hernandez drew a walk to load the bases with one out. As the tying run stood at second base and the go-ahead run at first, shortstop Carlos Correa popped out to second baseman Sam Roberts, and Hamblin struck out looking for the final out with no runs across.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Snappers pulled away against right-hander Vincent Velasquez. After getting a crucial double play to end the sixth inning and striking out the first batter in the seventh, Velasquez allowed the next six batters to reach base. Wooten drew a walk before Bostick homered to center field for a 7-3 Snappers lead. Roberts singled, Mathews doubled off the glove of Hernandez in center field, and center fielder Brett Vertigan brought in a run with a single off the glove of Elkins into center field. Robertson then hit a double down the right-field for his final hit in a 4-for-4, two-double game that finished a triple shy of the cycle. Velasquez was done after 1 1/3 innings in which he was charged with seven hits and five earned runs. Right-hander John Neely allowed an RBI groundout by Maxwell but completed 1 2/3 shutout innings with one hit.
Following its first loss since Game 1 of a doubleheader May 25 at Clinton, Quad Cities will send right-hander Lance McCullers (1-4) against Beloit right-hander Seth Streich (5-2) at 2 p.m. Sunday in Game 3 of the series.
UP NEXT: Reservations can be made from now until June 10 for the River Bandits Father's Day Cookout and pre-game catch scheduled for Sunday, June 16. Check out www.riverbandits.com for details or call 563-324-3000. Single-game tickets are on sale at the River Bandits box office at Modern Woodmen Park, by phone at 563-324-3000 and online at www.riverbandits.com. Season ticket and mini-plan packages start at just seven games and begin at less than $50. Call a River Bandits account representative today to choose your seats and get the details of our various mini-plan packages.
