Kudrna's Dominant Start Leads Bandits to Series Win over Chiefs

June 30, 2024 - Midwest League (MWL)
Quad Cities River Bandits News Release

Peoria, Illinois - Ben Kudrna racked up a season-high nine strikeouts and spun 6.0-scoreless innings to propel the Quad Cities River Bandits to a 4-1 win over the Peoria Chiefs on Sunday afternoon at Dozer Park.

The River Bandits staked their starter to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning, as Jared Dickey and Carson Roccaforte struck for a pair of RBI singles off Inohan Paniagua.

While Quad Cities totaled 11 total base runners against the Chiefs starter, Paniagua kept the Bandits off the board over the final four frames of his 5.0-inning performance. The two-run advantage would be more than enough for Kudrna though, who faced just three over the minimum.

Tyler Bradt kept the scoreless inning string alive for Peoria, striking out the side in order during the top of the sixth, but the Bandits mustered a two-out rally against the reliever in the seventh, extending their advantage to 4-0 on Dickey's two-run triple, his second of the season.

Peoria cracked into the run column against Chase Isbell in the bottom of the seventh, trimming QC's lead to three on Darlin Moquete's RBI-single, but after 1.2 innings from Isbell, Ben Sears quieted the rally by picking up the inning's final out with just one pitch.

Sears then returned to the hill for the ninth and completed his Midwest League-leading ninth save of the season, tying the most in a season for a River Bandits arm since the team became a Royals affiliate in 2021.

The victory- the fourth of the season for Kudrna (4-4)- marked Quad Cities third-straight and clinched the club's second series win in-a-row.

Quad Cities will split Independence Week between Davenport and Cedar Rapids and begins a three-game homestand against the Kernels on Monday. Ryan Ramsey (1-2, 3.05) is slated to get the start against Cedar Rapids' Jordan Carr (2-2, 6.08). First pitch at Modern Woodmen Park is set for 6:30 p.m.

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Midwest League Stories from June 30, 2024

• Loons Complete Eight-Run Comeback, Captains Fall in 12-10 Thriller - Lake County Captains
• Quad Cities Claims Sunday Finale to Clinch Series - Peoria Chiefs
• Loons Complete Largest Comeback in Franchise History, Erase Eight-Run Deficit - Great Lakes Loons
• Kudrna's Dominant Start Leads Bandits to Series Win over Chiefs - Quad Cities River Bandits
• Kernels Continue Mastery of Sky Carp - Beloit Sky Carp
• Olivar's Five RBIs Pushes Kernels Past Sky Carp 7-3 - Cedar Rapids Kernels
• Wisconsin Topples South Bend in Finale 2-1 - South Bend Cubs
• Wisconsin Wins 2-1 Over South Bend - Wisconsin Timber Rattlers
• Whitecaps Score Eight in 1st, Win 10-3 Again - Lansing Lugnuts
• 'Caps Cruise After Eight-Run First, 10-3 - West Michigan Whitecaps
• Fort Wayne Tops Dragons 5-1, Ending Dayton Winning Streak at Five - Dayton Dragons
• Dayton Dragons GameDay Notes for Sunday (1:05 PM at Fort Wayne) - Dayton Dragons
• Quad Cities Cruises Past Peoria for Back-To-Back Wins - Quad Cities River Bandits

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