GENEVA, ILLINOIS (May 22, 2019) — The Quad Cities River Bandits left a season-high 13 runners on base and could not slow the Kane County Cougars offense in a 9-3 loss on Wednesday afternoon. The Cougars scored in five different innings, including multiple-runs in three frames.
Kane County (25-21) got on the board right away against Bandits starting-pitcher Jose Rivera. In the first inning, Alek Thomas slapped an opposite-field single and promptly scored on a double down the left-field line from Eduardo Diaz. Diaz advanced to third base on a throwing-error by left-fielder Marty Costes. As a result, Buddy Kennedy’s sacrifice-fly to left made the score 2-0 in the Cougars favor.
The Cougars added single runs in the third and fourth innings to build a 4-0 lead, while the River Bandits were putting men on base, but failing to drive them in. The Bandits left two on in the first, a runner on second base in the second, and the bases loaded in the third.
Zack Shannon’s two-run single in the fifth widened the gap to 6-0 before Quad Cities finally put a run on the board in the sixth. Jonathan Lacroix drove in Trey Dawson with a sharp single up the middle after he had reached on his own base-hit and stolen second.
In the next half-inning, Kane County put the game out of reach by adding three more runs off of reliever Jayson Schroeder. Thomas drove in two runs with a single and Kennedy tacked on one more with his double to shallow-right field to make it 9-1. Thomas finished the game 4-4 with two runs batted in, three runs scored, and a walk.
Ramiro Rodriguez capped the River Bandits (28-14) scoring with a two-run triple in the eighth, but it was too little, too late. Austin Dennis led the way with four hits, while Costes added three. Jeremy Pena and Rodriguez each had a pair of hits as the Bandits collected 14 in the defeat.
Rivera took the loss, allowing six runs, five earned, in 5.0 innings of work. Schroeder, the Astros 2018 second-round draft-choice, made his full-season debut by working 3.0 innings out of the bullpen. He surrendered three runs on three hits while issuing three walks and striking out four.
The series will conclude with game four on Thursday night at 6:30PM. The River Bandits will hand the ball to RHP Jose Bravo (0-0, 0.00). Kane County will turn to RHP Jackson Goddard (3-2, 3.13).
Quad Cities (R-H-E): 3-14-2
Kane County (R-H-E): 9-13-1
Win: Lin (1-0)
Loss: Rivera (0-2)
Save:
HR: Quad Cities: None
HR: Kane County: Joe Gillette (2, 4th inning, 0 on base)
All River Bandits games are broadcast on 1170 K-BOB and TuneIn Radio. Home games are also available with video on MiLB.TV.
