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MWL1 Quad Cities River Bandits

Rowlett drives in game-winner with two outs as Perez snags first pro win

July 14, 2006 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Quad Cities River Bandits News Release


Nobody told the Swing of the Quad Cities that they were supposed to roll over trailing by four runs in the bottom ninth inning Friday night, as the home team battled back with a five-run rally to stun the Beloit Snappers and pull out a 6-5 win at John O'Donnell Stadium. The Swing have had a propensity for ninth-inning rallies in the final games of homestands, as Quad Cities plated four runs in the final frame on July 6 to sneak past the Fort Wayne Wizards in the last game of their previous home series.

Quad Cities (12-10, 46-44) entered the ninth inning with just one run on four hits before rallying for five knocks in the inning to win two of the three games in the series. Beloit (12-10, 47-43) sent Armando Gabino to the mound to start the frame, as the Dominican righthander made his first Midwest League appearance after being called up from the Appalachian League earlier in the day.

Trailing 5-1, Randy Roth started Gabino's introduction to the league by lining a single to center. Larry Bigbie followed with a chopper up the middle that snuck through the defense, and Tyler Greene brought them both home with a three-run blast to the berm in left field. Greene's sixth home run in 12 games with the Swing brought the home team to within a 5-4 score. After Gabino was removed in favor of Frank Mata, Jose Martinez lined a one-out single to left field. Daniel Nelson entered the game as a pinch-runner, stealing his first base since June 15 before pinch-hitter Bryan Anderson drew a walk.

A crucial sequence ensued as Shane Robinson came to the plate with one out and men at first and second. A sharp groundball to the second baseman looked like it might end the game, but a double clutch by Drew Thompson trying to get the ball out of his glove cost the Snappers a potential double play as the speedy Robinson beat out the throw from second to first. That kept the game alive as Casey Rowlett came to the plate with two outs and men at the corners. With an RBI-double already under his belt, the scrappy Rowlett slapped the first pitch he saw the other way into the right-center field gap. Edward Ovalle sprinted over and dove for it, but when the ball glanced off his glove both Nelson and Robinson were able to race home for the tying and winning runs. As Robinson slid head first around the catcher, the Swing players and coaches exploded out of the dugout to celebrate the dramatic 6-5 win.

Chris Perez (1-0) picked up his first professional victory with a scoreless ninth inning, while Frank Mata (5-3) was charged with both the blown save and the loss.

Beloit struck first in the top of the third despite starting the frame with a pair of groundouts. Thompson kept the inning alive by drawing a walk, and on a 2-0 count Whit Robbins belted a two-run bomb deep to right-center. Robbins, a fourth round pick by the Minnesota Twins last month out of Georgia Tech, hit his third home run through his first 15 pro games to give the Snappers a 2-0 lead.

The bases were empty with two outs again in the sixth, when a play at first base went against the Swing. Eli Tintor was credited with an infield single after beating out a close play at first, as Randy Roth's body shielded the umpire's view while he was digging out a throw down the first base line. One batter later Dwayne White made Quad Cities pay, belting a two-run shot to right field for a 4-0 advantage.

After five strong innings from Alexander Smit, the Swing finally reached the scoreboard against the Snappers' bullpen in the bottom of the sixth. Robinson lined a single to center to run his hitting streak to 11 games, and scored two pitches later when Rowlett roped a two-base hit into left field. But standing at third base with one out, Rowlett was left stranded 90 feet away after consecutive strikeouts ended the inning to leave the deficit at 4-1.

Cory Meacham got the start for Quad Cities, giving up four runs on six hits in six innings. He struck out five while walking two and allowing a pair of home runs, as all of the runs against him came in innings that at one point featured bases empty, two-out situations.

Smit turned in his best outing of the year for Beloit, holding the Swing to just one hit over five scoreless innings. The 20-year-old native of the Netherlands struck out six while walking two, but failed to pick up the win after the late Swing comeback.

Check out the Quad Cities River Bandits Statistics



Midwest League Stories from July 14, 2006


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