MWL Quad Cities River Bandits

Quad Cities Wins Series in Walk-Off Fashion

May 16, 2021 - Midwest League (MWL)
Quad Cities River Bandits News Release


Davenport, Iowa - After having their six-game winning streak snapped one day earlier, the Quad Cities River Bandits got their revenge on Saturday as they defeated the Cedar Rapids Kernels 7-6 in the bottom of the ninth at Modern Woodmen Park to win their second series of the season.

For the fifth straight game, the Kernels were the first to score and did so with two solo home runs in the second inning by Gabe Snyder (3) and Trey (Cabbage) respectively, and took a 2-0 lead against the Bandits' Grant Gambrell who had previously pitched five scoreless his last time out.

Despite finishing the day with nine strikeouts of Quad Cities hitters, Cedar Rapids' starter Canterino was also charged with three wild pitches, including one in the bottom of the second that scored Seuly Matias before Michael Massey's RBI single scored Jimmy Govern in the third to tie the game at 2-2.

However, Gambrell returned the favor in the top of the fourth and surrendered two runs on wild pitches and then gave up a third solo bomb, this time to Michael Helman (1), that put the visitors up 5-2 heading into the bottom of the fourth.

After a scoreless fifth from newly entered Will Klein and Canterino, who faced the minimum in his final inning, Helman struck again for the Kernels with an RBI double to score Chris Williams and extend his team's lead to four.

The River Bandits finally woke up the bats in the final third of the game, beginning in the seventh when Jimmy Govern brought in Eric Cole on a fielder's choice, and then used a throwing error by Snyder and a Tyler Gentry RBI double to tie the game at 6-6 against Owen Griffith.

With Yohanse Morel holding his opposition scoreless through the seventh and eighth, the righthander got Seth Gray to bounce into an inning ending double play in the top of the ninth that set the stage for River Bandits heroics.

An infield single from Nick Loftin and a bunt single from Michael Massey put men on first and second with no one out in the bottom of the ninth before Jonathon Cheshire retired Nathan Eaton on strikes. Vinnie Pasquantino then flew out to deep center for the second out and allowed Loftin and Massey to advance to second and third.

Then, having gone 0-17 with 10 strikeouts in the series, Matias became the evening's hero as he sent a blooping liner over the head of Wander Javier for his first hit of the week and to plate the game winning run in Loftin.

In his third 2021 appearance out of the bullpen, Morel earned his second win of season after facing the minimum through three innings, while Cheshire (0-2) received his second loss of the year after allowing the game winning tally in 0.2 innings.

Southpaw, Angel Zerpa (0-0, 3.72) will get the ball for the River Bandits in the series finale at Modern Woodmen Park and will be opposed by right-hander, Andrew Cabezas (1-0, 0.00) in a 1:00 p.m. CDT Sunday matinee.

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