Six unearned runs aid the Snappers in 9-4 rubber match victory
DAVENPORT, Iowa (July 1, 2015) - Beloit Snappers third baseman Jose Brizuela opened the scoring Wednesday night with a two-run home run in the second inning, and right fielder Justin Higley capped a six-run third inning with the first grand slam against the Quad Cities River Bandits this season in a 9-4 series rubber match victory in front of 6,137 at Modern Woodmen Park.
Led by first baseman Trent Woodward's career-high four hits, the River Bandits (4-3 second half, 49-26 overall) outhit Beloit, 13-10, but the Snappers (3-4, 29-48) became the first team since Peoria in a May 25 doubleheader to win consecutive games against Quad Cities. Beloit won a series at Modern Woodmen Park for the first time since a four-game sweep May 17-20, 2013, while the River Bandits lost their fourth series overall this season. All four have been at home.
The Snappers' scoring began in the second inning against River Bandits right-hander Justin Ferrell (1-1). All-Star Sandber Pimentel hit a leadoff ground ball to shifted second baseman Kristian Trompiz, who overthrew to first base. Two batters later, Brizuela hit a one-out drive just in front of the Built Ford Tough Deck in right field for his fifth home run of the season. The River Bandits came closest to tying the game against right-hander Junior Mendez (2-6) in the bottom of the second inning, when center fielder Ramon Laureano grounded a double down the first-base line, and right fielder Sean McMullen hit an RBI double to right-center field. With the tying run at second base, Trompiz grounded out to end the inning with a 2-1 Beloit lead.
Beloit blew the game open when it brought 10 batters to the plate in the third inning against Ferrell. With one out, center fielder James Harris hit a double to right-center field and went to third base on Ferrell's wild pitch. All-Star second baseman Trent Gilbert walked, and with runners at first and third bases, All-Star shortstop Yairo Munoz reached when All-Star third baseman Nick Tanielu mishandled a ground ball that scored Harris. Ferrell hit Pimentel with a pitch to load the bases. After left fielder Joe Bennie lined out, Brizuela hit an infield single to the infield grass on the third-base side that made it 4-1. Higley then smacked a 3-1 pitch to the Miller Lite Party Deck in right field for an 8-1 Beloit lead. Ferrell was charged with eight runs - two earned - on six hits and two walks with three strikeouts and lasted until two outs in the top of the fifth inning in his first start at Modern Woodmen Park.
Following Ferrell, right-hander Joshua James worked the final 4 1/3 relief innings and allowed one earned run on four hits and three walks with four strikeouts. Beloit's run off James came in the sixth inning, when Harris hit a one-out single to right field, went to second base on Gilbert's walk and scored on Pimentel's two-out single to left field for a 9-1 Snappers lead.
Mendez held the Beloit lead with a stretch of retiring eight batters in a row and not allowing a runner to reach third base from the third through fifth innings. In the sixth inning, Tanielu hit an infield single, and left fielder Jason Martin launched a two-run home run - his fifth of the season to lead all active River Bandits - to the Built Ford Tough Deck to cut the deficit to 9-3. Mendez allowed three earned runs on eight hits and no walks with two strikeouts in six innings. He was the winning pitcher in Beloit's first series victory overall against Quad Cities since May 2-4, 2014, when Mendez also won the rubber match of a three-game series at Pohlman Field in Beloit, Wis.
From the Snappers bullpen, right-hander Kevin Johnson scattered three hits and a walk in two scoreless innings. In the ninth inning, right-hander Rob Huber allowed Woodward's fourth single and a run that scored on Martin's bases-loaded groundout before the 9-4 final.
The River Bandits open a four-game, split-city series with the Peoria Chiefs at 7 p.m. Thursday at Modern Woodmen Park. The games Thursday and Friday will be at Modern Woodmen Park, followed by games Saturday and Sunday at Dozer Park in Peoria.
UP NEXT: Fans can tour the new home of the Quad Cities Sports Hall of Fame on the suite level of Modern Woodmen Park when gates open at 6 p.m. Thursday on Quad-City Times Night. A 50-50 raffle will benefit the Quad Cities Sports Hall of Fame. Thirst-Day means $2 drinks presented by 104.9 The Hawk, ESPN 93.5 and the River Cities' Reader. Individual tickets are on sale at the River Bandits box office and online at
riverbandits.com. Ticket plans of 12 to 70 games - which include free parking, reserved seats, merchandise discounts, and guaranteed giveaways - are available by calling
563-324-3000.
