Kernels Out-Pop Bandits, Sweep Set in Cedar Rapids

Cedar Rapids, Iowa – The Quad Cities River Bandits dropped their ninth-straight game at Veterans Memorial Stadium as they fell to the Cedar Rapids Kernels 8-2 on Saturday. The loss marks the second time the Bandits have been swept by the Kernels in a series this season.

After scoring 11 runs on 17 hits Friday, the Kernels struck for 8 runs on 16 hits in the series finale, including nine off Quad Cities’ starter Frank Mozzicato—a career-high allowed by the southpaw.

Cedar Rapids wasted no time jumping into the run column and did so in each of the first five frames, including a first-inning RBI-single off the bat of Gabriel Gonzalez. The Kernels then plated an unearned run against Mozzicato in the second on a Jack Pineda error, but extended their lead to 3-0 in the third on Tyler Dearden’s RBI-single.

Quad Cities only scored once against Kernels starter Christian MacLeod and did so in the fourth courtesy of Trevor Werner, who launched a solo shot for his sixth of the season. That tally though would be immediately matched by Kevin Maitan in the bottom half of the frame, as the third baseman tagged Mozzicato for a three-run homer and a 6-1 Kernels lead.

Connor Fenlong took over for the lefty in the fifth and immediately ran into similar troubles, allowing an RBI-single to Rayne Doncon.

Spencer Nivens got the run back on a solo home run of his own in the top of the seventh, however the Kernels again matched it and took their 8-2 advantage against Natanael Garabitos on Ricardo Olivar’s RBI-single in the bottom half.

Oscar Rayo closed out the night for Quad Cities’ arms on a high note, tossing a perfect bottom of the eighth, but the Bandits never broke back into the run column against the duo of Juan Mendez and Juan Mercedes, who closed out the game with a pair of scoreless innings for the Kernels.

MacLeod (3-1) earned the win for Cedar Rapids, allowing just one run and four base runners over 5.1 innings, while Mozzicato (4-6) suffered the loss, surrendering six runs (five earned) in a 4.0-inning performance.

After a pair of days off, Quad Cities returns to action on Tuesday, July 9 at Modern Woodmen Park as they open a six-game series against the Peoria Chiefs. First pitch for the series-opener is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.