Midland, MI — The Quad Cities River Bandits hit two grand slams and scored nine runs in the first inning on the way to a 15-2 series opening victory over the Great Lakes Loons on Tuesday night. Jake Adams and Jonathan Arauz each blasted grand slams in the opening frame and the team set new season-highs for runs and walks in a single-game in front of 1,103 fans at Dow Diamond.
The River Bandits put up their biggest inning of the season in the first. Jake Meyers and Arauz led off the game with back-to-back singles and then Meyers scored the first run on a wild pitch. The bases became loaded following a walk and error. Jake Adams capitalized by driving an 0-2 pitch from Loons starter Max Gamboa onto the berm in left field. The home run was his third of the year. The bases were full once again later in the inning after two walks and a hit by pitch, when Arauz also drove a pitch out of the yard for his second home run of the season. The two grand slams gave the Bandits an early 9-0 cushion.
Cody Bohanek added to the lead with his two-run double in the second inning and then Corey Julks smacked his second home run of the year in the fourth to extend the advantage to 14-0. Julks’ three-run blast was his second of the campaign.
Great Lakes scored their only runs of the game in the sixth inning on Nick Yarnall’s two-run home run off of reliever Patrick Sandoval. Quad Cities gained the final 15-2 margin with a bases loaded walk to Michael Papierski in the eighth.
Arauz finished with a season-best four hits in the game and was a triple shy of the cycle. Seven of the nine position players finished with at least one hit and four tallied multiple hits. Bryan De La Cruz lined a single into left field in the fifth to extend his hit streak to 11 games.
Cesar Rosado worked 5.0 scoreless innings to pick the win. He surrendered just two hits and struck out four while walking three. Sandoval handled the final 4.0 innings and allowed two runs on three hits while striking out seven, picking up a save in the process.
The River Bandits (11-12) will once again battle Great Lakes (7-15) at Dow Diamond on Wednesday night. First pitch is slated for 6:05 p.m. CST. On the mound for the River Bandits will be RHP Tyler Ivey (0-2, 4.58) in a match-up against RHP Wills Montgomerie (0-0, 0.50) of the Loons.
All River Bandits games are broadcast on 1170 K-BOB and TuneIn Radio. Home games are also available with video on MiLB.TV.
