James Ramsay reaches base four times and hits two-run, go-ahead single in the seventh inning

DAVENPORT, Iowa (May 10, 2014) - Right-hander Andrew Thurman and left-hander Chris Lee each pitched four innings of one-run ball, and the Quad Cities River Bandits scored twice in each of the sixth through eighth innings to sweep the Beloit Snappers, 6-2, and win a season-high fifth straight game in front of 4,926 at Modern Woodmen Park Saturday night.

Beloit (13-22) took a first-inning lead against Thurman, as center fielder Herschel "Boog" Powell hit a leadoff single to right field, and left fielder B.J. Boyd drew a walk. Third baseman B.A. Vollmuth hit an RBI single down the third-base line, and with two outs, Thurman issued a walk to load the bases. But he escaped the inning with one run allowed by striking out second baseman Luis Baez to begin a stretch of retiring 10 of the final 11 batters he faced.

Snappers right-hander Dylan Covey kept Quad Cities (17-18) scoreless through the first five innings, yielding just two hits and two walks. In the sixth, however, River Bandits center fielder Brett Phillips hit a leadoff single, and right fielder James Ramsay drew a walk. Second baseman Chan-Jong Moon bunted just in front of home plate for an infield single that loaded the base with no outs. Covey got designated hitter Jack Mayfield to hit into a 6-4-3 double play that scored Phillips with the tying run. First baseman Conrad Gregor then brought in Ramsay for the go-ahead run with an infield single behind second base. Covey finished six innings, allowing two earned runs on five hits with three walks and four strikeouts.

Lee (1-1) began the fifth inning with a 1-0 deficit and worked around a leadoff single to toss two scoreless innings, but he had a 2-1 lead to begin the seventh. Baez led off that frame with an infield single, advanced to second base on a sacrifice and scored when shortstop Melvin Mercedes grounded a game-tying double down the third-base line. With one out and the go-ahead run at second base, Powell grounded a ball that struck Mercedes a short distance from second base for the second out. Lee then picked Powell of first base to end the inning.

In a 2-2 tie, right-hander Tyler Hollstegge (0-1) retired the first two batters in the bottom of the seventh inning. Shortstop Thomas Lindauer worked a walk, and Phillips doubled to right field to put runners at second and third base. Ramsay then lined a two-out, two-run single past Baez for a 4-2 lead. Ramsay reached base in all four plate appearances with two walks, a double and the single.

Lee maintained the lead with a perfect eighth inning to complete a season-high four relief innings, allowing one earned run on four hits with no walks and three strikeouts. The River Bandits added to the lead in the eighth inning against right-hander Lee Sosa. Gregor hit a leadoff double to right-center field, third baseman Tyler White reached on an error by Vollmuth, and catcher Brian Holberton drove in both runners with a double to left-center field.

Right-hander Zach Morton pitched a perfect ninth inning, clinching Quad Cities' longest regular season winning streak since a seven-game winning streak July 28-Aug. 3, 2013.

Quad Cities begins a seven-game road trip at 6:35 p.m. Monday in Appleton, Wis. River Bandits right-hander Michael Feliz (1-1) is scheduled to face Wisconsin Timber Rattlers right-hander Preston Gainey (1-2) in a meeting of the last two Midwest League champions.

UP NEXT: Markdown Monday opens the next River Bandits homestand May 19 at Modern Woodmen Park. Gates open at 5:30 p.m., and bleacher tickets, as well as hot dogs, peanuts, popcorn, nachos, soda and beer are just $2 each for the 7 p.m. game. Tickets are available at www.riverbandits.com. To order any of the ticket plans - with new lower prices - call the River Bandits box office at 563-324-3000. Season ticket and mini-plan packages start at just seven games and begin at less than $40. Call a River Bandits account representative today to choose your seats and get the details of our various mini-plan packages.

Support the River Cities' Reader

Get 12 Reader issues mailed monthly for $48/year.

Old School Subscription for Your Support

Get the printed Reader edition mailed to you (or anyone you want) first-class for 12 months for $48.
$24 goes to postage and handling, $24 goes to keeping the doors open!

Click this link to Old School Subscribe now.



Help Keep the Reader Alive and Free Since '93!

 

"We're the River Cities' Reader, and we've kept the Quad Cities' only independently owned newspaper alive and free since 1993.

So please help the Reader keep going with your one-time, monthly, or annual support. With your financial support the Reader can continue providing uncensored, non-scripted, and independent journalism alongside the Quad Cities' area's most comprehensive cultural coverage." - Todd McGreevy, Publisher