Barnett, Bandits best Lugnuts, 3-1
DAVENPORT, IA – Mason Barnett struck out ten batters in five scoreless innings, including the last seven he faced, to help the Quad Cities River Bandits (10-15, 42-49) take the opener of a six-game series, 3-1, over the Lansing Lugnuts (10-15, 41-49) on Tuesday night at Modern Woodmen Park. Cayden
DAVENPORT, IA – Mason Barnett struck out ten batters in five scoreless innings, including the last seven he faced, to help the Quad Cities River Bandits (10-15, 42-49) take the opener of a six-game series, 3-1, over the Lansing Lugnuts (10-15, 41-49) on Tuesday night at Modern Woodmen Park.
Cayden Wallace supplied the offense with a pair of RBI singles for the River Bandits, spoiling the start of the Lugnuts’ 13-day, 12-game road trip to the state of Iowa.
Barnett was not without blemishes: Joshwan Wright singled in the first inning; Danny Bautista, Jr., Brennan Milone and CJ Rodriguez singled in the second inning; and Colby Thomas and Joshwan Wright singled in the third inning against the Quad Cities right-hander. But Wright was erased in the first inning on a double play; Bautista, Jr. was caught stealing in the second inning; and Thomas was caught stealing in the third inning to help Barnett keep the Lugnuts off the scoreboard.
The former Auburn ace whiffed the first batter in the first, second and third innings and then caught fire to end the third, fanning Daniel Susac as the third out, then whiffing the side in perfect order in the fourth and fifth innings to end his outing.
Meanwhile, Lugnuts starter Joelvis Del Rosario struck out five batters in five innings, but allowed two-out RBI singles to Wallace in the both the third and fifth innings to give Quad Cities a 2-0 lead.
The River Bandits added insurance in the seventh on a run-scoring wild pitch from John Beller.
The Nuts’ only run was scored in the ninth in a one-man Thomas rally. The speedy right fielder singled, moved to second on a Wright groundout, stole third, and scored on a Susac groundout.
Both Thomas and Wright finished the game 2-for-4 in the losing cause.
The second game of the six-game series will be held at 7:30 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday, 6:30 p.m. local, with Lansing right-hander Jake Garland on the mound.
The Lugnuts’ next home game is on August 8, beginning a two-week homestand against Fort Wayne and Great Lakes. Tickets are available via lansinglugnuts.com or by calling (517) 485-4500 during office hours.
# # #