Dickey Goes 5-for-5, Bandits Fall Short Against Kernels

Cedar Rapids, Iowa – Jared Dickey posted the Quad Cities River Bandits’ first five-hit game since 2021, but the club dropped its third-straight to the Cedar Rapids Kernels in an 11-5 loss at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

Dickey’s first hit staked Quad Cities to an early 1-0 lead, as the outfielder drove in Jack Pineda’s leadoff single with his first of two doubles, but the Kernels would immediately erase the deficit with a four-run bottom of the first against Steven Zobac.

After Ricardo Olivar, Nate Baez, and Tyler Dearden all struck for RBI-singles in the first, Gabriel Gonzalez tagged Zobac for fourth in the second, putting Cedar Rapids in front 5-1.

While Dickey’s RBI-triple and Trevor Werner’s sacrifice-fly would get Quad Cities back in the run column during the third, a 5-3 deficit would be as close as the Bandits would get against Cedar Rapids’ starter John Klein, who would scatter just three base runners over the final three innings of his 6.0-frame start.

Zobac also finished his night with a zero, but worked a season-low 3.2 innings while allowing five Kernels runs on seven hits and a career-high four walks. A.J. Block kept Quad Cities’ behind by just a pair, helping Zobac complete a scoreless fourth and fifth, but the kernels four extra-base hit sixth—which included a pair of homers from Gonzalez and Jay Harry—knocked the left-hander for three runs and an 8-3 Bandits’ deficit.

Although Spencer Nivens had robbed him of a home run in the third, Rayne Doncon got his revenge in the seventh inning against Ben Sears, launching his third homer of the week just two batters before Harry drove in a second Kernels seventh-inning run to balloon Cedar Rapids’ advantage to seven.

Dickey stepped to the plate in the eighth—a home run shy of the cycle—but settled for a double off Kernels’ reliever Rafael Marcano. Chris Brito, who went to right-center with a double of his own, drove in the outfielder for the Bandits’ fourth run, but Misael Urbina quickly got it back against Sears with his RBI-poke in the bottom half.

Dickey finished his night by driving in a third RBI with a two-out RBI-single in the ninth off Sheldon Reed, but it would be Quad Cities’ last gasp in a six-run loss.

Klein (6-2) earned the win behind his second quality start in as many appearances against the Bandits this season, while Zobac (5-5) followed his Midwest League Pitch of the Month award with the loss.

Quad Cities will conclude its three-game series and a stretch of six-straight against the Kernels on Saturday, as they send Frank Mozzicato (4-5, 2.45) to the hill opposite fellow southpaw Christian MacLeod (2-1, 3.13). First pitch at Veterans Memorial Stadium is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.