MWL1 Quad Cities River Bandits

Whitecaps rout River Bandits, 16-3

Published on May 2, 2008 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Quad Cities River Bandits News Release


The West Michigan Whitecaps scored in all but two of their offensive chances on Friday night at Fifth Third Ballpark, as the Quad Cities River Bandits took a 16-3 beating in the first game of a six-game road trip.

Quad Cities (15-11) allowed a season-high 16 runs in the loss, unable to convert on an early scoring opportunity before the game spiraled out of control. West Michigan (16-10) saw eight of their nine batters drive in at least one run and score at least one run, led by Jordan Newton's four-hit night that included two triples and finished a homer shy of the cycle.

In a wild first inning, the River Bandits drew three consecutive walks to open the game and threatened to grab an early lead. But after back-to-back strikeouts, Osvaldo Morales was robbed of extra bases as center fielder Kyle Peter made a running catch that took him into the wall in left-center, retiring the side and keeping Quad Cities off the scoreboard.

After Peter doubled and scored in the bottom of the first inning, the speedy outfielder wowed the crowd again in the top of the second. With one out Luis De La Cruz sent a deep fly ball to center, and Peter raced back to get it. The 22-year-old from Kansas City then made an over-the-shoulder, basket catch with his back towards the infield, sliding on the warning track to avoid barreling into the wall.

Little did the fans know that Whitecaps' starter Jon Kibler's first-inning hiccup would be just about all he gave up. The lefty retired the next nine batters he faced in order, allowing just one run on two hits over seven innings in all. He added seven strikeouts to earn the win and improve to 2-1.

Meanwhile, Peter and the Whitecaps went back to work offensively, taking advantage of four Quad Cities errors to plate seven runs over the next two innings. Kody Kaiser's two-run single highlighted a three-run second inning, giving West Michigan a 4-0 edge.

In the third, the Whitecaps blew the game open. The bases were loaded when Cory Middleton reached on an error by the third baseman, and one batter later Audy Ciriaco kept his teammates moving station-to-station with an infield single. Later in the inning Peter delivered a two-run single up the middle, as West Michigan sent 10 men to the plate to seize an 8-0 lead.

Quad Cities got their first run in the top of the fourth. Matt Arburr's single to left was the first River Bandits hit of the game, and the outfielder later scored from third while Domnit Bolivar was caught in a rundown between first and second.

The gap continued to widen as the game progressed. Newton tripled and scored in the fourth inning, while a pair of two out walks led to three more runs in the fifth. After Quad Cities finally held West Michigan off the scoreboard in the sixth, Middleton's three-run homer capped a four-run rally in the seventh to extend the Whitecaps' lead to 16-1.

In the eighth, Pete Kozma's RBI-single scored D'Marcus Ingram to make it a 16-2 ballgame. The base hit extended Kozma's hitting streak to seven, as the Cardinals' 2007 first-rounder has now hit safely in 15 of his last 16 games and 21 of 26 overall. In the eighth, Bolivar added a run-scoring single to get to the 16-3 final.

J.D. Stambaugh (1-2) took the loss for the River Bandits, allowing eight runs - just three of which were earned - on six hits over 2.2 innings. All four Quad Cities errors were committed with Stambaugh on the mound, while Stambaugh committed three of the River Bandits' six hit batsmen.

UP NEXT: The River Bandits continue their six-game road trip with game two of a three-game series in West Michigan on Saturday afternoon at 1:00 p.m. CT. They return to Modern Woodmen Park for a four-game home set against Kane County on May 8, a series that will not be affected by the current flooding of the Mississippi River. The series starting May 8 will kick off with a Thirst-day Thursday and an Ocho de Mayo fiesta with half-price beer, wine, margaritas and Mexican food, then continues with a FIREWORKS Friday, featuring a throwback River Bandits jersey auction to benefit the ALS Association. Saturday's game will feature a home cap giveaway courtesy of Orthopaedic Specialists before a Rockin' Saturday, and the festivities will also include a variety of promotions for Genesis Military Appreciation Night, including military displays and an exhibition game featuring the Military All-Stars at 4:00 p.m. The series will conclude on a U.S. Bank Family Sunday, featuring clowns, face-painters, and the chance for kids to run the bases after the game! Merchandise featuring the new team name and logo is currently available by visiting the Modern Woodmen Park team store, and season ticket packages, mini-packages, and the popular You-Pick-10 Plan are on sale at the park or by calling (563) 3-BANDITS!

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