BANDITS LOSE 6-2 LEAD, FALL ON WALK-OFF WALK

Jason Martin has career-high four hits, and Akeem Bostick works a season-high seven innings for Quad Cities

CLINTON, Iowa (May 20, 2015) - Quad Cities River Bandits right-hander Akeem Bostick matched a career high with seven innings pitched Wednesday night, but the bullpen lost a 6-2 lead to the Clinton LumberKings, who tied the game with a four-run eighth inning and used an infield single and three walks - including a walk-off base on balls - in the ninth inning of a 7-6 victory at Ashford University Field.

Despite its first loss by a walk-off walk in at least 11 seasons and first in six meetings with Clinton (17-23) this season, Quad Cities (31-9) kept the best record in professional baseball. The four-run deficit was the largest deficit overcome by an opponent for a victory this season.

Wednesday began as a pitchers' duel between Bostick and LumberKings right-hander Lukas Schiraldi. Clinton scored in the first inning. Bostick allowed a leadoff infield single to center fielder Aaron Barbosa, who was thrown out trying to steal second base. But Bostick walked second baseman Nelson Ward, and right fielder Estarlyn Morales grounded to shortstop Kristian Trompiz, whose wild throw to second base allowed Ward to reach third base and Morales to reach second. Designated hitter Kristian Brito grounded out to second base to score Ward with an unearned run for a 1-0 Clinton lead.

Schiraldi allowed only two hits to keep the 1-0 lead through the third inning, but he began the fourth inning by walking center fielder Derek Fisher, who advanced to second base on catcher Jacob Nottingham's groundout. Fisher stole third base, before third baseman Nick Tanielu walked, and designated hitter Sean McMullen hit a game-tying sacrifice fly to center field. Left fielder Jason Martin then singled to right field, before second baseman Alex Hernandez drove a two-run, go-ahead double to left-center field for a 3-1 lead.

Bostick kept Quad Cities ahead for the rest of his outing. He retired eight of the final nine batters he faced - including four on strikeouts - with the only blemish a solo home run by Morales with one out in the sixth inning to cut the lead to 3-2. Bostick lasted seven innings for the first time since June 9, 2014, and yielded two runs - one earned - on four hits and one walk with a season-high five strikeouts.

The River Bandits added to their 3-2 lead in the seventh inning. Martin led off with a single to right field, and Hernandez singled to center field. After Hernandez sacrificed both runners into scoring position, Schiraldi was removed for left-hander Nick Kiel, who struck out right fielder Bobby Boyd. With two outs, Kiel intentionally walked first baseman Jamie Ritchie to load the bases, but Fisher grounded a two-run single into right field to make it 5-2. In the eighth inning, Tanielu led off with a single to left field against Kiel. McMullen sacrificed Tanielu to second base, and Martin singled into left field for his career-high fourth hit of the game and an RBI to make it 6-2.

Clinton began its rally in the bottom of the eighth inning, when left fielder Arby Fields reached on a ground ball to Trompiz, whose throw past first base allowed Fields to reach second base. Barbosa walked, and Ward placed a bunt single between the pitcher's mound and first base to load the bases. Morales grounded into a double play for the first two outs, with Fields scoring to make it 6-3. Brito then bounced an infield single toward Hernandez to score Barbosa, and catcher Wayne Taylor grounded a double down the third-base line to score Brito and make it 6-5. Third baseman Chris Mariscal then hit a game-tying RBI single to right field. Thompson was charged with four earned runs on five this and one walk with one strikeout in one inning.

LumberKings right-hander Rohn Pierce (2-2) went the final 1 2/3 innings for the home team, and he struck out the side around a two-out infield single by Fisher in the ninth inning. In the bottom of the inning against left-hander Jordan Mills (0-2), LumberKings first baseman Taylor Zeutenhorst bounced a leadoff infield single to Hernandez, and Fields drew a walk. Barbosa sacrificed two runners into scoring position before Ward walked to load the bases. Mills struck out Morales, but Brito watched a two-out, 3-1 pitch high for the walk-off walk.

The River Bandits conclude their series at Ashford University Field in Clinton on Thursday at 6:30 p.m., when River Bandits right-hander Brandon McNitt (0-0) is scheduled to face LumberKings right-hander Zack Littell (0-0).

BANDITS BUILD BIG LEAD, HOLD OFF LUMBERKINGS

Two pitchers make their Midwest League debuts to help Quad Cities improve to a pro baseball-best 31-8

CLINTON, Iowa (May 19, 2015) - Quad Cities River Bandits center fielder Derek Fisher hit a career-high three doubles in his first three-hit game of the season, and third baseman Nick Tanielu drove in three runs to help the visitors build an 8-1 lead in an eventual 8-5 victory over the Clinton LumberKings at Ashford University Field Tuesday night.

Five River Bandits had multi-hit games, and every player in the lineup reached base on a hit or walk, as Quad Cities led from the first inning until the final out to improve to 5-0 against Clinton and move professional baseball's best record to 31-8. Quad Cities also increased its Midwest League Western Division lead to a season-high eight games over the Cedar Rapids Kernels (23-16).

In the first inning against LumberKings left-hander Patrick Peterson (4-4), River Bandits catcher Jamie Ritchie hit a leadoff single to right field, and Fisher grounded a double down the first-base line. Designated hitter Mott Hyde walked to load the bases, and Tanielu hit a sacrifice fly to center field to score Ritchie. Left fielder Sean McMullen singled to right field to reload the bases, and right fielder Ryan Bottger added a sacrifice fly to right field that scored Fisher for a 2-0 Quad Cities lead.

With Tuesday's scheduled starting pitcher, Chris Lee, traded to the Baltimore Orioles organization Monday, right-hander Francis Martes made his Midwest League debut. He began by walking LumberKings center fielder Aaron Barbosa and shortstop Chris Mariscal, but got second baseman Nelson Ward to line out to second base and third baseman Joe DeCarlo to line out to first baseman Bryan Muñiz for an unassisted, inning-ending double play - the first of three Quad Cities turned in the game.

The River Bandits added a run in the third inning, as Fisher doubled off the left-center field wall, and Hyde singled to center field. With runners at first and third bases, Tanielu struck out before McMullen grounded into a fielder's choice for an RBI. With three runs of support, Martes allowed one hit and struck out five batters in his first 3 2/3 innings, but Clinton (16-23) scored its first run with two outs in the fourth inning. Left fielder Chantz Mack walked, right fielder Estarlyn Morales was hit by a pitch, and first baseman Kristian Brito hit an RBI single. Martes finished four innings, allowing one earned run on two hits and three walks with five strikeouts.

Fisher and Tanielu combined for another run in the fifth inning, with the former doubling down the left-field line and the latter lifting a triple to right-center field off the glove of Morales. In the sixth inning, Bottger hit a leadoff single into left field, second baseman Alex Hernandez walked with one out, and shortstop Kristain Trompiz hit an RBI single to left field, with Bottger eluding the tag of catcher Daniel Torres at home plate. Ritchie followed with a two-run double down the left-field line that ended Peterson's outing after 5 1/3 innings, in which he allowed eight earned runs on 10 hits and two walks with four strikeouts. Left-hander Jarrett Brown retired Fisher on a flyout, which sent Ritchie to third base. Brown's wild pitch scored Ritchie - a run charged to Peterson - for an 8-1 Quad Cities lead.

Following Martes, right-hander Kevin Comer (4-0) began the fifth inning and retired the first six batters he faced. In the seventh inning, Morales hit a leadoff single to left field, and Brito singled to right field. With runners at first and third bases, Comer got designated hitter Taylor Zeutenhorst to ground to Hernandez, who started a double play, with a run scoring to make it 8-2.

Comer kept the lead at six runs until the ninth inning. Mack and Morales began with consecutive singles, and Brito grounded to Hernandez, who tagged Morales and threw to first base for a double play. Needing one out to end the game, Comer walked Zeutenhorst, allowed an RBI single to Torres, walked Barbosa and allowed an RBI single by Mariscal. With the bases loaded, right-hander Aaron Greenwood made his Midwest League debut, walking Ward to make it 8-5, before fanning DeCarlo with the tying run at first base for his first career save.