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Bandits Walk-Off In Extras Twice

July 10, 2009 - Midwest League (MWL1) - Quad Cities River Bandits News Release


After playing baseball for five hours and 21 minutes on Thursday night, the Quad Cities River Bandits left Modern Woodmen Park riding high after a pair of extra-inning wins in a doubleheader sweep over the Lansing Lugnuts that lasted a total of 21 innings and featured victories of 2-1 and 4-3.

Both contests were nail-biters, featuring game-tying rallies in the seventh inning to force extra frames before Quad Cities (6-8, 36-48) outlasted Lansing (4-10, 30-53) and walked off with wins. The opener ended with an infield single by Jose Garcia in the 10th, while Osvaldo Morales did the honors with a sacrifice fly in the 11th inning of the nightcap.

The River Bandits struck first in game one, as Alex Castellanos led off the opening frame with a single before stealing second and eventually crossing the plate on a two-out knock by Morales.

Meanwhile, Hector Cardenas retired the first 10 batters he faced and carried a two-hit shutout into the seventh before the Lugnuts benefited from an unearned run to even the score. With a man at first and nobody out Brian Van Kirk looped a liner to left, but as Frederick Parejo charged in with a chance to make the catch and double up the runner at first, the ball bounced off the left fielder's glove. After a fielder's choice groundout advanced the lead runner to third, Chris Emanuele singled through the left side of the infield to even the score at 1-1.

The deadlock remained until the bottom of the 10th, when Travis Mitchell lined a single to right to spark a two-out rally. Parejo followed with a blooper that dropped in fair just past the third baseman, while Castellanos worked the count full and drew a walk to fill up the bases. On a 2-2 pitch, Garcia drove in the game-winning run with an infield single to the second baseman, as a diving Justin McClanahan was able to knock the ball down in shallow right but could not make the play.

Matt Frevert (1-0) picked up the win with three strikeouts over two shutout frames of relief, running his total to 11.1 innings of work without allowing an earned run this season. Dustin Antolin (0-3) suffered the loss for Lansing, retiring the first two men he faced in the 10th before allowing the next four men to reach safely.

The Lugnuts won the race to the scoreboard in game two thanks to an RBI-single by Tyler Pastornicky with one out in the third, but Quad Cities battled back to tie it in the bottom half of the frame. Jon Edwards led off the inning with a single to left and moved to second on a base hit by Kyle Conley - his first as a professional. Castellanos followed with a groundball single up the middle, plating Edwards to even the score, 1-1.

Lansing promptly recaptured the lead in the top of the fourth. With two outs and a man at second, McClanahan hit a towering fly ball the other way to right field. Conley chased back and leapt at the ribbon board, but the ball carried over for a two-run homer as the Lugnuts jumped back in front, 3-1.

But after Lansing forced extra innings with a game-tying run in the seventh inning of the opener, the River Bandits returned the favor in the nightcap. Down to their final out in the seventh, Jarred Bogany extended the ballgame with a single to left. Moments later Edwards found himself down in the count, but turned on an 0-2 fastball and blasted a two-run homer to left to make it a 3-3 ballgame.

After three innings of scoreless baseball, the decisive rally was sparked Garcia's infield single into the hole at shortstop. After the baserunner stole second, an infield single by Matt Carpenter left runners at the corners with one away. That set the stage for Morales to lift a fly ball to right, enabling Garcia to tag up and score for a 4-3 walk-off winner - the River Bandits' second of the night.

Joel Pichardo (2-1) earned the win after two innings of scoreless relief, capping seven shutout frames from the bullpen that included a three-inning stint by Miguel Tapia. Ryan Koch (2-7) suffered the loss after 2.2 innings of work.

UP NEXT: The homestand continues with post-game fireworks on a Fireworks Friday and an appearance from Chicago Bears great and Hall of Famer Gale Sayers. A bobblehead doll featuring Steve Dillard, Quad Cities' all-time winningest manager, will be handed out on Saturday courtesy of Mel Foster agent Keith A. Allborty, and the Rockin' Saturday also includes a post-game concert by Elvis Himselvis on Elvis Night! Fans arriving early to Sunday's game will receive the 2009 River Bandits Team Poster thanks to Swiss Valley Farms on another Tailz 'Er Waggin' Dog Day of Summer, also a U.S. Bank Family Sunday. Lastly, the homestand concludes with a special 1:00 p.m. start time on Monday, a Summer Camp Day and Harry Potter Day!


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