LANSING, Mich. - The Quad Cities River Bandits (14-12) built an early seven-run lead and then held on for dear life, closing out the Lansing Lugnuts (18-10), 8-7, before a season-high crowd of 8,556 at Cooley Law School Stadium on Friday night.The game featured a combined eight doubles and five
LANSING, Mich. - The Quad Cities River Bandits (14-12) built an early seven-run lead and then held on for dear life, closing out the Lansing Lugnuts (18-10), 8-7, before a season-high crowd of 8,556 at Cooley Law School Stadium on Friday night.
The game featured a combined eight doubles and five home runs among the 27 total hits. It lasted three hours and 39 minutes.
Quad Cities' Jonathan Arauz and Michael Papierski hit back-to-back home runs in a four-run first inning against Lugnuts starter Colton Laws (Loss, 0-2).
Kacy Clemens put the Lugnuts on the board with his league-leading seventh home run of the season in the bottom of the first inning, only to see the Bandits increase the lead to 5-1 against Laws in the second, and then to 8-1 with three runs off reliever Brody Rodning in the third inning.
Thanks to a scoreless fourth inning from Rodning and five scoreless innings of relief from birthday boy Maximo Castillo , newly turned 19 years of age, the River Bandits did not score again.
Norberto Obeso 's first home run of the season began the comeback effort, pulling the Lugnuts within 8-3 in the fourth.
In the fifth inning, a throwing error by Quad Cities third baseman Colton Shaver brought in both Kevin Vicuña and Clemens, making the score 8-5.
In the eighth inning, Samad Taylor blasted his second home run of the year - his first since April 11th - and the lead was down to 8-6. Obeso followed with a walk and moved to third on a Chavez Young single, though Young was thrown out attempting to advance to second. A Vicuña grounder plated Obeso to make it 8-7. Clemens followed with a single - only to see Quad Cities bring in Tanner Duncan from the bullpen. The right-hander set down the final four Lugnuts batters, ending the game and recording his third save.
River Bandits reliever Luis Garcia (Win, 1-1) picked up the victory, tossing 3 2/3 innings, allowing five hits, two runs and two walks, and striking out four.
In the loss, Lansing third baseman Kevin Smith extended his hitting streak to 15 games and his on-base streak to 26 games, going 3-for-5 with two doubles.
Midwest League April Player of the Month Yennsy Diaz brings his league-leading 0.31 ERA to the mound on Saturday night at 7:05 p.m., challenging Quad Cities left-hander Parker Mushinski (1.76)… on Comic-Con Night at Cooley Law School Stadium! To purchase tickets and live the Lug Life, visit lansinglugnuts.com or call (517) 485-4500.
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