BELOIT, Wis. (April 17, 2015) - The Beloit Snappers overcame a 4-1 deficit with a three-run fifth inning and a 6-4 deficit with a five-run eighth inning to end the Quad Cities River Bandits' five-game winning streak with a 9-6 final at Pohlman Field Friday night.
Beloit (2-7) snapped a seven-game losing streak and denied Quad Cities (7-2) an opportunity for the club's best nine-game start since 2001. The River Bandits fell into a tie for first place in the Midwest League Western Division first-half standings with Cedar Rapids (7-2).
The River Bandits took their first lead in the second inning, when Snappers right-hander Heath Fillmyer walked right fielder Sean McMullen and hit first baseman Bryan Muñiz to begin the frame. Third baseman Alex Hernandez sacrificed both runners into scoring position, before shortstop Thomas Lindauer drove a 1-0 pitch from Fillmyer over the left-field wall for his first home run of the season.
Trailing 3-0, Beloit reached the scoreboard in the third inning against right-hander Daniel Mengden. Right fielder Shawn Duinkerk, who finished a triple shy of the cycle, began his eventual 4-for-4 day with a leadoff double down the right-field line and went to third base on a single to center field by second baseman Trent Gilbert. When catcher Argenis Raga grounded into a fielder's choice, Duinkerk scored.
Quad Cities added to its lead in the fourth inning, when right fielder Sean McMullen drew a leadoff walk, Lindauer walked with two outs, and left fielder Bobby Boyd singled to right field, where Duinkerk did not field the ball cleanly, allowing McMullen to score. Duinkerk recovered in time to throw out Boyd at second base to end the inning.
In the fifth, Quad Cities ran into three more outs on the base paths. Designated hitter Alfredo Gonzalez hit a leadoff single and reached second base on an error before being thrown out at third base when he tried to advance after a wild pickoff throw. Center fielder Derek Fisher doubled to right field but later was retired running to third base after a ground ball to shortstop. Second baseman Mott Hyde, who reached on the fielder's choice, was the final out of the inning on the way to home plate on a double by catcher Jacob Nottingham.
After allowing four hits and one run with four strikeouts through four innings, Mengden allowed Duinkerk's home run leading off the fifth inning. Gilbert doubled to right field, and ground ball by Raga got through third baseman Alex Hernandez. Mengden got the next two batters before shortstop Yairo Munoz singled off Fisher's glove in center field to bring Beloit within 4-3. A strikeout and passed ball kept the inning alive and loaded the bases to end Mengden's outing. Right-hander Ryan Thompson allowed a game-tying single by first baseman Max Kuhn before McMullen made a running catch in right field to end the inning with a 4-4 tie.
The River Bandits retook the lead in the seventh inning against right-hander Corey Miller. With two outs, Hyde doubled to left field, Nottingham hit an RBI single to the left of second base up the middle, and McMullen drove an RBI double to left-center field.
After beginning the sixth inning, right-hander Austin Chrismon (1-1) held the 6-4 lead into the eighth, when the first six batters reached base. Kuhn hit a leadoff single, Chrismon hit designated hitter Joe Bennie with a pitch, and Duinkerk singled to load the bases. Gilbert then hit a game-tying, two-run double down the right-field line, followed by Raga's go-ahead two-run double to left-center field. Center fielder Brett Vertigan reached on an infield single, and Raga scored when Lindauer overthrew first base. Chrismon was charged with five earned runs on seven hits in two innings and six batters of work. Left-hander Albert Minnis entered to retire three straight batters and keep the deficit at 9-6, but Snappers right-hander Trevor Bayless (1-0) struck out three batters in two hitless innings to finish the game.
The River Bandits open a three-game home series against Kane County at 6 p.m. Saturday at Modern Woodmen Park. Right-hander Joshua James (0-0) is scheduled to face Cougars right-hander Markus Solbach (1-0) in the teams' first meeting of the season.
UP NEXT: Saturday is Irish Heritage Night presented by Bud Light & 7G Distributing, with green beer and $1 off tickets at the box office for anyone wearing green. Green Aluminum Bud Light bottles and Guinness bottles will be just $4 each. Gates open at 5 p.m. for a Fan Appreciation Saturday presented by 101.3 KISS-FM, with a pregame bagpipe performance and face painting on the concourse. 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.
ABOUT THE BANDITS: The River Bandits ownership in 2014 made one of the biggest improvements to Modern Woodmen Park since the ballpark was first built back in 1931! A new Ferris wheel, standing 105 feet over the playing field, opened May 24, Space Camp opened June 20; the new Drop'N Twist debuted in July; and the newly expanded 300-foot long zip line also reopened.
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