DAVENPORT, IOWA (June 17, 2021) — For the second time in as many games, a big home run lifted the Bandits to a 5-3 win, as they topped the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers on Wednesday night at Modern Woodmen Park.
The two-hour and 13-minute contest was sped up early by starters Angel Zerpa and Justin Bullock who each cruised through 6.0 inning performances. However, it was the River Bandits who found themselves on top first on an RBI fielder’s choice from Tyler Gentry who scored Nick Loftin for a 1-0 lead in the opening inning.
In the third, the Timber Rattlers rattled off four-consecutive singles against Zerpa, as Jesus Lujano, LG Castillo, and Chad McClanahan all came through for the visitors, who took the 3-1 lead.
Quad Cities also pegged the opposition for three in the third, but did so in slightly more efficient fashion on William Hancock’s three-run blast. The go-ahead shot marked his first since 2018 and gave the Bandits a 4-3 lead.
Despite his bumpy third, Zerpa bounced back in the fifth and sixth and faced just one over the minimum to mark his second-straight six-inning start.
The River Bandits got one more off of Bullock in the sixth on Gentry’s second RBI of the day, the second of back-to-back doubles that plated Vinnie Pasquantino and extended his team’s lead to 5-3.
Will Klein and Jonah Dipoto were called out of the bullpen for manager Chris Widger and each delivered scoreless outings, as Klein struck out three in the seventh and eighth before Dipoto allowed a leadoff walk in the ninth before striking out the side to secure his fifth save in as many tires on the year.
The win went to Zerpa (4-0) who delivered his seventh seven-plus strikeout performance of the year, while Bullock (1-1) took his first loss of his campaign in High-A after allowing five earned runs on seven hits, one walk, and five strikeouts over six frames.
Asa Lacy (1-3, 6.65) will make the start for Quad Cities tomorrow, as they host Justin Jarvis (0-4, 4.96) and Wisconsin for game three of the six-game set. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35PM CDT at Modern Woodmen Park.
ABOUT THE BANDITS: The 2021 season marks the River Bandits’ first year as a new Advanced-A major-league affiliate. As such, the team will be offering higher-quality baseball than has ever before been played in the Quad Cities. Additionally, the Bandits will welcome a new MLB affiliate to the Quad Cities, the Kansas City Royals. The River Bandits anchor the Quad Cities sports-market, which The Sports Business Journal named the top minor-league sports-market in the country in 2015 and second-best minor-league market in its 2017 follow-up ranking. In 2015, 2017, and again in 2019, the River Bandits earned Ballpark Digest’s award for “Best Charitable Works” in Minor League Baseball, the only club to win that coveted award three times. For more information, visit www.riverbandits.com or contact General Manager Joe Kubly at (563) 333-2768.
