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MWL1 Quad Cities River Bandits

Swing stay hot as Bigbie debuts with Quad City

July 12, 2006 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Quad Cities River Bandits News Release


The Swing of the Quad Cities got a solid outing from Tyler Norrick and jumped out to a 5-0 lead Wednesday night at John O'Donnell Stadium, hanging on to beat the Beloit Snappers, 8-5. St. Louis Cardinals' outfielder Larry Bigbie went 1-for-2 and drew a walk in his Swing debut, the first of six rehab games he is scheduled to play with Quad Cities as he recovers from surgery to repair an umbilical hernia.

Quad Cities (11-9, 45-43) has won their last four meetings with the Snappers, using their third consecutive win overall to take a slim edge in the season series, 5-4. Beloit (11-9, 46-42) and Quad Cities are dead even in their all-time series, as the two teams have each won 119 contests.

Quad Cities started the scoring with a three-run rally in the bottom of the third. Luis Cotto beat out an infield single to shortstop and, after a Daniel Nelson walk, Casey Rowlett reached on an error to load the bases with one out. Reigning Midwest League Offensive Player of the Week Jon Jay followed by grounding a hard-hit single up the middle, plating Cotto and Nelson for a pair of runs. Randy Roth's RBI single later in the inning brought home Rowlett, giving the Swing a 3-0 lead.

Tyler Greene added to that advantage one inning later, leading off the inning with another long home run to left field. The longball was the fifth by Greene through his first 10 games with the Swing, as the Cardinals' second pick of the first round in 2005 continues to impress with tape-measure blasts.

The lead swelled to 6-0 as Quad Cities added single runs in the fifth and the sixth. Jay doubled to left in the fifth, moved to third on a groundout from Roth, and raced home on a wild pitch with two outs. In the sixth inning Greene drew a leadoff walk, headed to third on a base hit by Bigbie, and crossed the plate on Shane Robinson's sacrifice fly to center field.

Beloit used a three-run top of the seventh inning to close the gap to 6-4, but in the bottom of the frame Quad Cities put the game away. With Bigbie's work done for the night, Chad Gabriel stepped in as a pinch-hitter with two outs and Bryan Anderson at second base. On the first pitch he saw, the California native deposited a hanging curveball over the fence in left field for his second homer of the season and an 8-4 advantage.

Tyler Norrick (1-1) picked up his first Swing win in four tries, carrying a shutout into the fifth inning before leaving a man on base in the sixth that eventually came around to score. The southpaw out of Southern Illinois held the Snappers to just one run on one hit in 5.1 innings of work, striking out three but walking five. Norrick, the Cardinals' sixth-round pick in the 2006 draft, is now 1-0 with a 0.87 ERA through his first two starts at John O' Donnell Stadium.

Kyle Waldrop (6-3) suffered his first loss since April 22, snapping a personal six game winning streak. The Twins' prospect was touched for six runs - five earned - on eight hits over 5.2 innings while walking four and failing to notch a strikeout for the first time this season. In two starts against the Swing this year, Waldrop has allowed eight earned runs in 10 innings for a 7.20 ERA.

UP NEXT: The Swing of the Quad Cities will continue their three-game set with the Beloit Snappers on Thursday, as LHP Adam Daniels (4-7, 3.63) is scheduled to pitch against RHP Adam Hawes (3-3, 4.81). First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. and coverage on Progressive Talk AM-1270 will begin at 6:45 p.m.

UPCOMING PROMOTIONS: The homestand from July 12-14 will coincide with the first Pepsi Kid's Camp of the summer, as Swing players and coaches will be teaching baseball skills to youngsters for the first three-day session of the summer. Call (563) 324-2730 for more information. The game on Thursday, July 13 will be a Pluckers/97 Rock Thirsty Thursday. Stick around after the game on Friday, July 14 for post-game fireworks courtesy of i-wireless, KWQC, and WLLR.

Check out the Quad Cities River Bandits Statistics



Midwest League Stories from July 12, 2006


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