Arms Lead Bandits to Win Over Chiefs

Peoria, Illinois – The Quad Cities River Bandits allowed just one unearned run on Wednesday, as they topped the Peoria Chiefs 4-1 at Dozer Park.

Starter Ryan Ramsey set the tone for the pitching staff, shutting out the Chiefs over a 5.0-inning start and allowing just four total base runners, while collecting all five of his game’s strikeouts over the first three innings.

Dustin Dickerson jolted Quad Cities into the lead in the top half of the third, taking a full-count pitch from Chiefs’ starter Brycen Mautz over the left-field fence for a two-run homer, his second of the year. Kyle Hayes doubled the Bandits’ advantage in the fourth, tagging the left-hander for two more with a bases loaded RBI-single.

While the Bandits bats would be held quiet by Roy Garcia (3.0 IP, 0 R, 5 SO) and Tanner Jacobson (1.0 IP, 0 R) over the second half of the game, the 4-0 lead would be more than enough for Quad Cities’ bullpen. Although Peoria would tag Chazz Martinez for an unearned run on a Chase Davis single in the seventh, the southpaw followed A.J. Block’s scoreless effort with 1.2 innings and a pair of strikeouts, before Ben Sears nailed down a four-out save, retiring the game-tying run at the plate three-straight times in the ninth.

Ramsey (2-3) earned his first win in five-career appearances against the Chiefs, while Mautz (1-12) was saddled with the loss, allowing four runs on seven hits and three walks over 5.0 innings. Sears’s 11 saves ties the right-hander with Lake County’s Magnus Ellerts for the most in the Midwest League this season.

Quad Cities returns to Dozer Park for game three of the set tomorrow night and sends Henry Williams (2-4, 4.60) to the mound opposite Peoria’s Inohan Paniagua (7-6, 3.54). First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.