Wik ties triples record in loss to Clinton
Quad Cities River Bandits third baseman Marc Wik tied a Midwest League record with three triples and had a career-high four RBIs Thursday night, but the Clinton LumberKings hit six doubles and two home runs among 18 hits in a 13-9 win in a series rubber match in front of 4,892 at Modern Woodmen Park.
LumberKings center fielder Isaiah Yates led all players with four hits - including two doubles - and five RBIs, while catcher Marcus Littlewood reached base in all six plate appearances, walking three times, finishing a triple shy of the cycle and scoring four runs. Eight LumberKings had a hit, and six had multi-hit games, while the team scored all its runs in five multi-run innings. The 13 earned runs and 18 hits were the most allowed by Quad Cities this season.
Clinton (15-24 second half, 45-62 overall) reached the scoreboard in the first inning against right-hander Michael Feliz (6-4), who had only allowed five runs - three earned - in his first 34 innings at Modern Woodmen Park this season. Designated hitter Luis Caballero walked, right fielder Chantz Mack hit an RBI double, and Yates hit an RBI single for a 2-0 lead. The River Bandits (21-18, 56-52) took their only lead in the second inning. Left-hander Blake Holovach (6-4) hit designated hitter A.J. Reed with a pitch and allowed a one-out single to catcher Brian Holberton. Wik drove a two-run triple to the right-center field gap and scored when shortstop Thomas Lindauer hit a two-out single. Lindauer scored on a two-out double by right fielder Brett Phillips.
With a 4-2 lead, Feliz retired the first two batters of the third inning before another LumberKings rally. Littlewood doubled and scored on left fielder Brett Thomas' single. Yates doubled to put runners at second and third bases, and a wild pitch scored Thomas for a 4-4 tie. Third baseman Martin Peguero singled to give his team a 5-4 lead. Feliz retired the next five batters in a row, before Littlewood started another rally with a one-out single in the fifth inning. Thomas walked, and Yates hit a two-run double, ending Feliz's night. Left-hander Albert Minnis later allowed a two-out infield single by second baseman Andy Peterson that scored Yates for an 8-4 Clinton lead. Feliz was charged with career highs of eight earned runs on 10 hits. In 4 1/3 innings, he walked four batters and struck out three.
In the bottom of the fifth, center fielder James Ramsay hit a leadoff triple and scored on a groundout by first baseman Chase McDonald. Left fielder Ryan Bottger reached on a two-out error by shortstop Jack Reinheimer and later score d on Holberton's single. Wik hit his second triple to right-center field, but was left at third base in an 8-7 game. Holovach allowed seven runs - five earned - in five innings.
Clinton restored its four-run lead in the sixth inning, when Minnis gave up his first home run since June 25, 2013, to Mack and allowed a two-run single by Yates to make it 11-7. Quad Cities tallied runs in the seventh and eighth innings against LumberKings right-hander Rafael Pineda. Reed led off the seventh with a double and scored on Wik's third triple to left-center field. Wik had two career triples entering Thursday and became the fifth player in Midwest League history - and first ever for Quad Cities - to triple three times in a single game. Wisconsin's Michael Reed was the last to do so, when he had three triples May 22, 2013, at Modern Woodmen Park. In the eighth inning, Lindauer singled and scored on Ramsay's sacrifice fly. Right-hander Emilio Pagan escaped the eighth inning with an 11-9 lead, and Littlewood's two-run home run in the ninth off right-hander Frederick Tiburcio, insured Pagan's 12th save after his two scoreless innings.
Quad Cities opens a three-game series against first-half Western Division champion Kane County at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at Fifth Third Bank Ballpark. River Bandits left-hander Blaine Sims (2-2) is scheduled to face left-hander Tyler Ihrig, who will make his Cougars debut.
UP NEXT: On Markdown Monday presented by 97X, the River Bandits will offer $2 bleacher and berm tickets, hot dogs, peanuts, popcorn, nachos, soda and beer. Gates open at 5:30 p.m. for the 7 p.m. game, and an All-You-Can-Ride Amusements Pass is just $10. Tickets are available at www.riverbandits.com. To order any of the River Bandits 2014 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.
ABOUT THE BANDITS: Having just been named Ballpark Digest's winner of Best Ballpark Improvement in America under $1 million, the River Bandits ownership recently made one of the biggest improvements to Modern Woodmen Park since the ballpark was first built back in 1931! A new Ferris wheel, standing 105 feet over the playing field, opened May 24, and Space Camp opened June 20; the newly expanded 300-foot long zip line has also reopened. Soon to come is another new ride, this one called a "Drop and Twist." In 2013, the team unveiled a new 220-foot long dual zip line, a rock climbing wall, and a number of new bounce houses. Last season, the team's major league affiliate, the Houston Astros, saw all six of its affiliates reach the playoffs - the first time in a decade any MLB team can claim such success. The River Bandits were one of three affiliates to reach the championship round and one of two to win their league championship.