Hawks Score Four to Sink Quad Cities

May 1, 2013 - Midwest League (MWL1)
South Bend Silver Hawks News Release


Summer seemed to finally arrive in South Bend on Wednesday night as 80 degree temperatures and clear skies welcomed the Quad Cities River Bandits to town. Kevin Medrano's two-run double in the fifth inning keyed a comeback victory for the Silver Hawks as South Bend (17-6) sent Quad Cities (15-9) down the river 4-3, extending their winning streak to six games.

Quad Cities had men on base all night long but timely defense by the Hawks and some shoddy base running by the River Bandits kept South Bend in the game until the offense awoke from its slumber. The Bandits jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Shortstop Joe Sclafani flared a single into centerfield before second baseman Austin Elkins doubled down the leftfield line, moving Sclafani around to third. A sacrifice fly followed by first basemen Jesse Wierzbicki, scoring Sclafani.

The River Bandits added to the lead in the top of the second inning. Catcher Roberto Pena doubled to centerfield despite a diving attempt at the ball by Hawks center fielder Socrates Brito. After a ground ball moved Pena over to third, right fielder Terrell Joyce laced a double to the centerfield wall to extend the Bandits' lead to 2-0.

Base running mistakes cost the Bandits in the top of the fourth inning keeping them to one run in the inning despite having four hits. With men on first and second, left fielder Jordan Scott singled on a line drive to left field. Roberto Pena was held at third base on the play but Joyce failed to see him stop and ran himself into an out at third base. Center fielder Teoscar Hernandez then had his grounder in the shortstop hole knocked down by Hawks shortstop Pedro Ruiz. Roberto Pena came around to score, but Scott also tried to score on the play and was gunned down at the plate by the Hawks shortstop to end the inning with the River Bandits ahead just 3-0.

The bats woke up for the Hawks in the fifth as they cut the River Bandits lead to 3-2. The rally started when Breland Almadova singled to shallow right field. Ruiz was then hit by a pitch from Quad Cities starter, Daniel Minor. Medrano followed with a double to left center field that was just out of reach of center fielder Hernandez's outstretched glove.

The tandem of Brandon Drury and Ryan Court remained hot as they connected on back to back singles to start the sixth. After Drury and Court advanced on Brito's 3-1 groundout, Drury crossed the plate on Roidany Aguila's 5-3 groundout to tie the game at three apiece.

The decisive run crossed the plate for the South Bend Silver Hawks, Class-A Affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks, in the seventh. Ruiz led off by beating out a bunt single down the third base line. Before Medrano could step in the box, Lance McCullers' (0-3) wild throw on a pickoff attempt on Ruiz at first rolled into the bullpen allowing him to advance to third. Ruiz later came around to score on Pena's 4-3 groundout, which gave the Hawks a 4-3 advantage.

After Daniel Watts (4-0) put in seven innings of work to start the game, the Hawks bullpen corralled the Bandits in the last two innings. Wierzbicki led off the top of the eighth inning against Hawks reliever Chris Capper with a worm burner up the middle which was saved by Ruiz's great diving stop and throw to first to get the out. Capper gave up a single but got out of the inning when Roberto Pena lined into a double play to the third baseman. RJ Hively picked up his seventh save of the season with a scoreless ninth. He was assisted by a Bandits' base running blunder by Brian Blasik as Blasik bewilderedly balked between first and second base on a bouncing ball to short, beginning a 6-4-3 double play.

The Hawks will look for their seventh victory in a row on a Thristy Thursday night. Beer and soda are $1. Mike Hauschild (1-0, 3.93 ERA) will take the hill for the River Bandits while Kyle Schepel (2-0, 2.55 ERA) gets the ball for the Silver Hawks. First pitch is at 7:05pm.



Midwest League Stories from May 1, 2013


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