Four-run seventh inning lifts Wisconsin past Quad Cities in series opener

GRAND CHUTE, Wis. (MAY 14, 2013) - The Quad Cities River Bandits batted around in an inning for the second time in as many games Tuesday, but Wisconsin Timber Rattlers left fielder Victor Roache hit a go-ahead, two-run home run to cap a four-run seventh inning and give the home team a 9-7 win at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium.

Three River Bandits had multi-hit games, and right-hander Jamaine Cotton was in line for a victory in his first Midwest League start, as the visitors built a 7-4 lead by the fourth inning. Right-hander Vincent Velasquez took over with the same lead to start the sixth inning and worked around a walk and single for a scoreless inning to start his outing.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, third baseman Mike Garza drove a ball to the left-field wall that Terrell Joyce relayed to second baseman Austin Elkins for the first out. With the bases empty, shortstop Orlando Arcia singled to left-center field, and Velasquez walked designated hitter Tyrone Taylor. A wild pitch advanced the runners to second and third bases, and right fielder Michael Reed grounded an infield single up the middle to bring in the first run. Center fielder Mitch Haniger closed the lead to 7-6 with a sacrifice fly to center field, and Roache came to bat with two outs and a runner at first base. After Velasquez delivered a strike, Roache launched the next pitch over the left-field wall for an 8-7 lead - his second go-ahead, two-run home run against Quad Cities this season. Roache homered in his first professional at bat against the River Bandits on April 21.

Wisconsin (18-17) added a run in the eighth inning against right-hander Richard Rodriguez, who went 1 1/3 innings in his Midwest League debut. Timber Rattlers right-hander Tyler Wagner (4-1) struck out five batters and faced one over the minimum in the final four innings, with the only hit a seventh-inning double by designated hitter Brian Blasik, who led Quad Cities with three hits. Shortstop Carlos Correa was 2-for-5 and scored a game-high three runs, and first baseman Jesse Wierzbicki was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs before he was ejected following his words to home plate umpire Evan Barger after being called out on strikes in the ninth inning.

Quad Cities (21-16) took a 1-0, first-inning lead when Correa scored on a throwing error by Arcia. Wisconsin answered with four runs in the first inning against Cotton, as Haniger hit a two-run home run, and catcher Parker Berberet grounded a two-run double down the right-field line for a 4-1 lead. The River Bandits rallied for five runs - including four with two outs - on four hits in the second inning, with Joyce hitting a go-ahead two-run double. Wierzbicki extended the lead to 7-4 with an RBI double in the fourth . Cotton finished five innings and faced the minimum over his final 4 1/3 innings, as catcher Roberto Pena threw out Reed trying to steal in the second, and first baseman Adam Giacalone hit into an inning-ending double play in the third. Cotton set down the final seven batters he faced.

The River Bandits and Timber Rattlers continue their series at 6:35 p.m. Wednesday, when Quad Cities right-handers Lance McCullers (0-3) and Daniel Minor (2-1) face Wisconsin right-handers Leonard Lorenzo (1-2) and Damien Magnifico (4-0).

UP NEXT: The River Bandits begin their next home stand Friday, May 17, with Petrolpalooza Night - when berm tickets are the price of a gallon of unleaded gasoline at BP, and bleacher tickets are the price of a premium unleaded gallon. Friday will also feature a Fireworks show presented by Eastern Iowa Toyota Dealers, WLLR and WQAD. Single-game tickets are on sale at the River Bandits box office at Modern Woodmen Park, by phone at 563-324-3000 and online at www.riverbandits.com. Season ticket and mini-plan packages start at just seven games and begin at less than $50. Call a River Bandits account representative today to choose your seats and get the details of our various mini-plan packages.

Breyvic Valera and Alex Mejia combine to go 6-for-10 with three triples and all Chiefs runs in 4-2 win

DAVENPORT, Iowa (MAY 12, 2013) - The Peoria Chiefs broke a 2-2 tie with the Quad Cities River Bandits in the seventh inning with shortstop Alex Mejia's second RBI triple of the game, and Mejia and second baseman Breyvic Valera combined for six hits and all four Peoria runs in a 4-2 Sunday win in front of 4,231 at Modern Woodmen Park.

Valera, the Chiefs leadoff batter, and Mejia, the No. 2 hitter, helped Peoria to a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning against right-hander Mike Hauschild. The pair hit consecutive singles, and with two outs and runner at first and third base, River Bandits first baseman Jesse Wierzbicki stopped and then dropped a ground ball by left fielder Jordan Walton, which brought in Valera for the first run.

The River Bandits (20-15) scored their only runs in the fourth inning against left-hander Kyle Helisek (3-1). Quad Cities third baseman Rio Ruiz hit a two-run home run to left field that also brought home left fielder Terrell Joyce. The homer was the second this season for Ruiz, who hit his first exactly four weeks earlier against Peoria at Modern Woodmen Park. Helisek held Quad Cities to three hits and three walks while striking out five batters in six innings.

Valera and Mejia quickly erased the River Bandits' 2-1 lead in the next half inning, as they each tripled to left-center field. But Hauschild stranded Mejia at third base by fanning designated hitter Jacob Wilson and - following a walk to Walton - inducing a ground-ball double play by first baseman Patrick Wisdom to keep the score tied, 2-2.

Left-hander Colton Cain (1-4) started the sixth inning for Quad Cities and worked a perfect frame before Peoria (17-16) took the lead in the seventh inning. Valera singled to right-center field, and Mejia followed with a drive to right-center between right fielder Ariel Ovando and center fielder Jordan Scott, who collided on the play, and the loose ball allowed Valera to score the go-ahead run and Mejia to reach third for a triple. Wilson followed with sacrifice fly to left field for a 4-2 Peoria lead. Cain held the Chiefs to an eighth inning walk the rest of the way but took the loss, despite going four innings as part of the starting tandem.

Chiefs right-hander Joe Donofrio faced the minimum in the seventh and eighth innings by getting a ground-ball double play in the seventh. Right-hander Zach Petrick came in for the ninth and allowed a leadoff single by shortstop Carlos Correa and a one-out walk to Joyce. With runners at first and second and the tying run on base, Ruiz struck out looking against Petrick, and designated hitter Brian Blasik grounded into an appropriate fielder's choice - with Mejia flipping to Valera for the final out - to give Petrick his fifth save.

The four-game, three-day series between Quad Cities and Peoria concludes at 11 a.m. Monday, as Chiefs right-hander Joe Lucas (0-2) faces the starting tandem of right-hander Jordan Jankowski (1-0) and left-hander Brian Holmes (3-2). Houston Astros right-hander Josh Fields, who made the first rehab appearance by a major league player for Quad Cities at Modern Woodmen Park on Friday, is also scheduled to pitch two innings Monday.

UP NEXT: The River Bandits will recognize Book Buddies again at Monday's game, which is also presented by 97X. Single-game tickets are on sale at the River Bandits box office at Modern Woodmen Park, by phone at 563-324-3000 and online at www.riverbandits.com. Season ticket and mini-plan packages start at just seven games and begin at less than $50. Call a River Bandits account representative today to choose your seats and get the details of our various mini-plan packages.

ABOUT THE BANDITS: The River Bandits will make one of the biggest improvements to Modern Woodmen Park since the ballpark was first built back in 1931! A new Ferris wheel, standing 112 feet over the playing field, is scheduled to open in early June, along with two new zip lines, a carousel, a Frog Hopper, new bounce houses and many other fun attractions. The team also boasts a new major league affiliate, the Houston Astros, and fans will see last year's No. 1 overall draft pick, Carlos Correa. The Astros will also make the very first selection in the major league draft this June and could have another top pick end up in the Quad Cities. With new rides, new attractions, new improvements, a new affiliate and future major league stars, this season will be one every fan will not want to miss!

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Rock Island, IL: May is bike month, so it's only fitting that Rock Island author and bicycling advocate Chuck Oestreich will be at the Rock Island Library on Monday to informally discuss his book, "Bicycle Moon," and discuss the ins and outs of touring on two wheels.

His informal discussion, Bike Touring and Book Writing, will be presented at 6:30 pm, on Monday, May 13 at the Rock Island Main Library, 401 19th Street.  Writing a novel has been one of Chuck Oestreich's  lifelong dreams, and he'll talk a little bit about the story, his experiences in writing it, along with some practical tips he's learned over the years about bicycle touring.  Participants are urged to add their own bike touring experiences and tips.

Though the novel's hero spends much of the book on a bike,  bicycling is only part of the story in Bicycle Moon. What's more central to the book is a man drifting through life without much happiness or ambition. But when he accidentally takes off across mid-America on a bike, he has experiences which are singular, to say the least. Romance, suspense, interesting characters, and a whirlwind climax in a small Iowa town all add to the story.

This is not a book signing. No books will be for sale. If you do have a copy, the author will sign it. The author is a long-time Rock Island resident and teacher. He taught English at Rock Island High School for more than 30 years, currently writes a bicycling column for the Rock Island Argus/Moline Dispatch, and is involved in state-wide and local bike activism. He has bike toured cross-country in America and in ten foreign countries.                    

For more news about Rock Island Public Library events, visit www.rockislandlibrary.org, call 309-732-7323 (READ) or follow the Rock Island Library on Facebook and Twitter. A monthly calendar of library events is available online and at Rock Island Library locations.

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Right-hander will be first player to rehab with Quad Cities at Modern Woodmen Park since 2006

DAVENPORT, Iowa (MAY 9, 2013) - Houston Astros right-hander Josh Fields is scheduled to make a rehab appearance at Modern Woodmen Park Friday at 7 p.m. against the Cedar Rapids Kernels. Fields is set to become the first major leaguer to have a rehab assignment with Quad Cities at Modern Woodmen Park since 2006.

Fields, 27, made his major league debut April 2 against the Texas Rangers. He was the first overall pick by Houston from Boston in the Major League Rule 5 draft in December. This season he pitched two consecutive scoreless relief outings of 1/3 inning each before being placed on the disabled list with a right forearm strain April 8, with the move retroactive to April 4. Fields has not pitched since April 3 against Texas and is scheduled to pitch two innings in Friday's game against the Kernels.

A native of Athens, Ga., Fields was originally selected by the Seattle Mariners out of the University of Georgia in the first round (20th overall) of the June 2008 draft. He was acquired by the Boston Red Sox with left-handed pitcher Erik Bedard in a three-team deal that included the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 31, 2011. He finished the 2012 season with the Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox before being selected by Houston in the Rule 5 draft in December. His minor league totals in the Mariners and Astros systems include 132 games - all relief appearances - an 11-8 record, 3.57 ERA and 23 saves in 176 2/3 innings.

The last major leaguer to have a rehab assignment with the River Bandits was former St. Louis Cardinals left-hander Brian Tallet, who pitched at Peoria on May 17, 2011. The last major leaguer to rehab for the Quad Cities franchise in Davenport was former St. Louis Cardinals left-hander Mark Mulder on Aug. 6, 2006, against the Clinton LumberKings.

UP NEXT: Friday night will feature a Fireworks show presented by Eastern Iowa Toyota Dealers, WLLR, and WQAD, and it's Home and Garden Night presented by Total Turf & Landscape, as the first 100 fans will receive a Garden Mat from Total Turf & Landscape. Single game tickets are on sale at the River Bandits box office at Modern Woodmen Park, by phone at 563-324-3000 and online at www.riverbandits.com. Season ticket and mini-plan packages start at just seven games and begin at less than $50. Call a River Bandits account representative today to choose your seats and get the details of our various mini-plan packages.