Bandits Top Cubs, Secure Fourth-Straight Series Win

South Bend, Indiana – The Quad Cities River Bandits won their fourth of six games against the South Bend Cubs on Sunday, locking in the club’s fourth consecutive series win with an 8-2 victory at Four Winds Field.

On a day when South Bend issued 11 walks, Quad Cities needed just nine hits to plate eight runs, including three off the bat of Jack Pineda. The Bandits third baseman led the team in run production, recording his first three-hit and three-RBI performances of the season.

After Brett Squires gave QC their initial 1-0 lead with a first-inning RBI double—his team-leading fifth of the season—the Bandits pulled away from a 1-1 tie in the sixth and seventh innings, plating seven runs against the Cubs’ bullpen including a pair of bases loaded walks.

Carter Jensen worked the second of the RBI free passes, and with an additional two on the day, now leads the Midwest League with 20 walks in 21 games, while also ranking top five in hits (25) and total bases (38).

Jared Dickey also finished the week on a high note, launching a solo home run to right field off Angel Gonzalez for his second blast of the series and his team-leading third of the season.

On the mound, Shane Panzini put together his best start of the season, tossing 4.0 innings of one-run ball, while Cooper McKeehan (2.0 IP), AJ Block (1.0 IP), and Brandon Johnson (1.0 IP) each worked a scoreless outing in relief.

In addition to 20 strikeouts, Johnson extended his scoreless inning streak to 9.2—the second longest mark in the Midwest League to open the season—with a scoreless ninth inning to close out the game.

McKeehan (1-2) earned his first win of the season for Quad Cities, while Angel Gonzalez (0-2) was saddled with the loss for South Bend, yielding four runs over 0.2 innings.

Next week, Quad Cities begins the second leg of their two-week road trip against the Beloit Sky Carp at ABC Supply Stadium. First pitch of the series opener is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. on April 30.