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 Quad Cities River Bandits

Bandits and Bees Split Thrilling Doubleheader on Saturday

April 21, 2018 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Quad Cities River Bandits News Release


Burlington, IA - The Quad Cities River Bandits and Burlington Bees split a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon with the victorious club coming from behind in both games. The Bees scored five runs in the fifth inning of game one to erase a 3-0 deficit and turn it into a 5-3 win. In the second game, the River Bandits scored three runs with two outs in the seventh inning to grab a 5-4 victory.

In the first game, the River Bandits scored in the opening inning for the second straight day.  J.J Matijevic doubled with one out and went to third on an ensuing single from Jonathan Arauz. The Bandits executed a double steal with Arauz taking second and Matijevic scoring when Burlington catcher Keinner Pina's throw to second was too late.

Quad Cities loaded the bases with no outs in the next frame as Roman Garcia, Marcos Almonte, and Gabriel Bracamonte all reached base safely to open the inning. Jake Meyers took advantage by lofting a sacrifice fly into right field that scored Garcia and made it 2-0.

The River Bandits scratched again in the third to go up 3-0. Matijevic worked a leadoff walk and wasted no time stealing second. Garcia drove him in with a line drive single up the middle and into center field.

The fifth inning turned out to be the decisive frame in the contest, starting in the top of the stanza. The River Bandits were attempting to blow the game open with men on first and second and nobody out for clean-up hitter Adrian Tovalin. Both runners were on the move as Tovalin smashed a line drive right at the third baseman Gleyvin Pineda. He tagged out the runner at third and threw to second where the trail runner was also tagged out for the 111th triple play in Midwest League history.

In the bottom of the frame, Burlington went on the attack. The first five hitters of the inning all reached base safely. Torii Hunter Jr, doubled, Pineda walked, Leonardo Rivas singled, and then Jo Adell grounded a two-run single through the hole on the left side to trim the lead to 3-2. Following another single, Tyler Ivey, the River Bandits starter, was removed in favor of Colin McKee with the bases loaded. McKee struck out Franklin Torres, but allowed a go-ahead three-run double off the wall to Julio Garcia which gave the Bees the 5-3 advantage they would maintain the rest of the way.

Ivey lasted 4.0 innings and surrendered all five runs on five hits. McKee tossed 1.0 inning and struck out the side, allowing the go-ahead in the process. Tanner Duncan made his River Bandits debut with a clean sixth inning.

The River Bandits totaled eight hits in the game. Both Matijevic and Bracamonte finished with two.

In the nightcap, it was the Bees who jumped in front with a big third inning. Harrison Wenson hit his second home run in as many days to open the scoring. This time it was a drive to left field off of Peter Solomon that made it 1-0. Pineda worked a base on balls in the next at bat and then crossed the plate on a run-scoring double from Leonardo Rivas. Adell followed by beating out an infield single to leave runners on the corners. Brandon Marsh pushed the lead to 3-0 with a sacrifice fly. Torres singled into right field and the ball rolled under the glove of right fielder Bryan De La Cruz, allowing Adell to score from second and the lead swelled to 4-0.

The River Bandits used a long ball of their own to cut the Burlington lead in half in the fifth. Michael Papierski opened the frame by singling to center and then moved to second when Marsh bobbled the ball. Meyers turned on a pitch from Jorge Tavarez and deposited it over the left field wall for his first home run of the season.

With one out in the seventh inning, Meyers reached on a single up the middle. With two outs and Meyers still on base, Corey Julks and Jake Adams each came up big with two strikes on them. First, Julks ripped a triple to dead center to pull the River Bandits within 4-3. Then, Adams grounded a base hit through the left side to score Julks and even the score. The next man up, Jonathan Arauz, lined a triple into the right field corner. Adams raced around third and the throw to the plate beat him, but he avoided the tag with a nifty slide, putting the Bandits in front 5-4.

Dariel Aquino, who flew in from extended spring training earlier in the day, closed out the game in the ninth with help from a double play turned by second baseman Cody Bohanek.

Solomon was chased after 2.1 innings, having allowed four runs on four hits and three walks. The right-hander struck out four. Adam Bleday was the first reliever out of the pen, tossing 3.2 scoreless innings complete with six strikeouts.

The River Bandits (4-8) will play two more against the Burlington Bees (6-6) at Community Field on Sunday. The first pitch in the opening game is set for 2:00 p.m. RHP Yohan Ramirez (1-1, 3.86) will take the ball in game one and RHP Cristian Javier (0-0, 0.00) will follow in the second contest. Burlington will start RHP Mitchell Traver and LHP Jon Malmin.

All River Bandits games are broadcast on 1170 K-BOB and TuneIn Radio. Home games are also available with video on MiLB.TV.


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