GENEVA, ILLINOIS (August 4, 2019) — The Quad Cities River Bandits experienced déjà vu at Northwestern Medicine Field on Sunday afternoon. For the second straight day, they went to the tenth inning tied 1-1, failed to score in the top half, and lost in walk-off fashion 2-1 in the bottom half. This time, it was Dominic Fletcher hammering a one-out double into the left-field corner to score Nick Dalesandro with the winning run. The River Bandits have scored just 2 runs in the first 20 innings of the series.
Quad Cities (23-19, 66-42) trailed 1-0 for most of the afternoon before tying the game in the ninth inning. Wilyer Abreu worked a lead-off walk to open the frame and was able to move all the way to third base when Alex McKenna followed with a double off the wall in right-field. On the first pitch of the next at-bat, Grae Kessinger lofted a sacrifice-fly to center-field that tied the game. Pitcher Andy Toelken struck out the next two hitters to avoid further damage.
The game moved to extra-innings with the score tied at one run apiece. The Bandits were unable to advance Ramiro Rodriguez from second base in their half of the inning, setting up Kane County (29-13, 64-47) with a chance to win the game with a single run. Tra Holmes tried to bunt the runner to third base to start the inning, but ended up striking out. Fletcher then worked himself into a favorable count against Abdiel Saldana and lofted a long fly-ball that dropped fair in the left-field corner to end the contest.
Fletcher was the only player in the game to finish with more than one hit, going 2-5 with a run batted in. Austin Dennis left the game in the fourth inning after being hit in the face by an Adrian Del Moral pitch.
Del Moral worked 6.0 scoreless innings and limited the River Bandits to only two hits. Bandits starter Matt Ruppenthal countered with 5.0 scoreless innings of his own, allowing just one unearned run in the bottom of the first inning.
The bullpens turned out to decide the game with both team’s reliever pitching well. Kane County’s Andy Toelken earned the win allowing one run on three hits in 3.1 innings. Saldana was handed the tough-luck loss, giving up just an unearned run three hits in 4.1 innings.
The teams will meet again for game three of the series on Monday night at 6:30PM. RHP Brett Daniels (5-5, 1.64) will start on the mound for the River Bandits. Kane County will turn to RHP Luis Frias in his first Midwest League appearance.
Quad Cities (R-H-E): 1-5-2
Kane County (R-H-E): 2-6-0
Win: Toelken (5-2)
Loss: Saldana (1-1)
Save:
HR: Quad Cities: None
HR: Kane County: None
All River Bandits games are broadcast on 1170 K-BOB and TuneIn Radio. Home games are also available with video on MiLB.TV.
