BURLINGTON, Iowa (September 1, 2014) - J.D. Davis and Dayne Parker each homered, but the Quad Cities River Bandits ended their season with an 8-5 loss Monday to the Burlington Bees at Community Field.
The River Bandits (35-35 second half, 70-69 overall) got off to a good start when Bobby Boyd and Ryan Bottger, who had three hits for the second time in three contests, opened the game with singles against Burlington (30-40, 68-71) starter Alex Blackford. Marc Wik then laced a double down the right field line to bring both in and quickly give Quad Cities a 2-0 lead.
The Bees struck back right away though against Quad Cities starter Michael Feliz. Bo Way, who had three hits and reached base for the 27th time in his last 28 games, led off the bottom of the first with a base hit and then Kody Eaves hit his tenth homer of the year to tie the game at two. Feliz got Brandon Bayardi on strikes and then Eric Aguilera grounded out to second for the first two outs of the frame. Zach Houchins then lined a base hit to left that got by Quad Cities left fielder Brauly Mejia for a single and an error, the first of two on the day for Mejia. Houchins then came around to score on Trevor Gretzky's RBI double to put Burlington ahead 3-2.
With Burlington holding onto a 4-3 lead in the fifth, Gretzky, who had three hits, singled with two outs, stole second and then came into score on Stephen McGee's RBI double. Ismael Dionicio then singled to left, but Mejia threw out McGee at the plate to end the inning and the day for Feliz (8-6). The right-hander allowed a career-high 12 hits and gave up five runs, four earned, with no walks and six strikeouts in his five frames to suffer the loss.
Quad Cities used a home run from Dayne Parker, his second of the season, in the seventh to cut the lead back to one, but a McGee sacrifice fly in the bottom half of the frame made it 6-4 Bees.
In the top of the eighth, Davis launched his eighth dinger of the year and fifth in the last eight games to pull the Bandits back to within just one. But again, in the bottom of the inning, the Bees had an answer, using a Bayardi two-run shot to put the score at 8-5.
Alex Blackford (2-4) earned the win for the Bees, surrendering three runs on six hits in five innings. He walked one and fanned six while Ben Carlson worked a perfect ninth for his 14th save.
The River Bandits closed the 2014 season with a 70-69 record, their second consecutive winning campaign.
Davis got the scoring started by launching a 2-2 pitch from Burlington (29-31 second half, 67-71 overall) starter Daniel Hurtado over the right-field wall for his sixth home run of the season to put Quad Cities (35-34, 70-68) up 1-0.
Chase McDonald followed Davis' act with a solo home run, his team-best 16th of the year, to lead off the top of the fourth, making it 2-0.
Ranyelmy Mendoza's solo shot in the bottom of the fifth cut the Bandits' lead to 2-1, but Hurtado (2-4), who gave up five runs on six hits with eight strikeouts and two walks in six innings to take the loss, got himself into more trouble with the longball in the sixth. He walked McDonald with two outs and nobody on before yielding a single to A.J. Reed. Davis then clubbed his second dinger of the game to give Quad Cities the 5-1 advantage. Davis finished 2-for-3 with four RBIs, while also walking and swiping his fourth base of the season.
Burlington was able to get back in the game in the bottom of the seventh when Trevor Gretzky hit his third homer of the season, a three-run shot to draw the Bees to within 5-4. But the Bandits were able to answer immediately, with back-to-back doubles by Marc Wik and Ryan Bottger in the top of the eighth scoring a run, and Bottger coming home on a McDonald sacrifice fly to the wall in left-center, giving Quad Cities a 7-4 cushion.
In the top of the ninth, Bobby Boyd hit his first career triple to drive in Lindauer. He then came into score on Dayne Parker's sacrifice fly to left to put Quad Cities ahead 9-4.
Troy Scribner (1-2) earned the victory, going three innings in relief of Chris Lee, who tossed four scoreless frames. Scribner gave up four runs, one earned, on four hits with three walks and two strikeouts.
The River Bandits and Bees combined to hit five home runs in the game, the most between Quad Cities and an opponent this season.
Quad Cities will wrap up the regular season tomorrow at 2 p.m. in Burlington. Michael Feliz (8-5, 3.87 ERA) is scheduled to make the start for the River Bandits against Burlington's Alex Blackford (1-4, 2.63).
UP NEXT: The final River Bandits games will be live online at riverbandits.com and TuneIn Radio. On Labor Day, the ballpark will open with free admission at 4 p.m. for the Red, White and Boom Fireworks show scheduled for 8:30 p.m.
ABOUT THE BANDITS: Having just been named Ballpark Digest's winner of Best Ballpark Improvement in America under $1 million, the River Bandits ownership recently 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. In 2013, the team unveiled a new 220-foot long dual zip line, a rock climbing wall, and a number of new bounce houses. Last season, the team's major league affiliate, the Houston Astros, saw all six of its affiliates reach the playoffs - the first time in a decade any MLB team can claim such success. The River Bandits were one of three affiliates to reach the championship round and one of two to win their league championship.
