Bandits Foil Chiefs’ Comeback, Snap Losing Streak

Davenport, Iowa – The Quad Cities River Bandits ended a seven-game losing streak on Friday, holding on to defeat the Peoria Chiefs 4-3 at Modern Woodmen Park.

While the bats would arrive later, Friday’s contest began as a pitcher’s duel as River Bandits’ starter Hunter Owen and Chiefs’ starter Inohan Paniagua matched each other zero for zero over the first four innings.

Paniagua retired the first 12 Quad Cities hitters he faced, but after allowing back-to-back base runners to begin the fifth, surrendered the game’s first runs on Omar Hernandez’s two-run single.

After a scoreless 5.0-inning start, including four strikeouts, Owen handed the baseball to Connor Fenlong to protect the Bandits’ 2-0 lead. The right-hander fired off a one-two-three sixth and then saw the bats extend his cushion to 3-0 on Trevor Werner’s sacrifice-fly in the bottom half.

Paniagua would not return for the seventh and despite allowing a trio of runs, completed his season’s third quality start with help from seven strikeouts.

Peoria eventually ended the Bandits’ shutout bid in the seventh and broke into the run column via Tre Richardson’s RBI-single. Chase Wallace then took over for Fenlong—who earned his first High-A hold—in the eighth and allowed three of the Chiefs’ seven hits in the eighth, including Leonardo Bernal’s game-tying, two-run double.

Although Dionys Rodriguez had quieted Quad Cities’ bats in the seventh, the Bandits wasted no time retaking the lead in the bottom of the eighth, jumping back in front 4-3 on Carter Jensen’s RBI-single.

Despite being saddled with a blown save Wallace (1-3) got redemption and struck out both Johnfrank Salazar and Richardson in a perfect top of the ninth to secure his first win of the season and Quad Cities’ first since July 3.

Rodriguez (1-1) took the loss, allowing one unearned run in 2.0 innings of relief.

Quad Cities continues its six-game series with the Chiefs Saturday night at Modern Woodmen Park, with right-hander Ethan Bosacker scheduled to make his High-A and River Bandits debut against Peoria’s Pete Hansen (3-6, 4.34). First pitch is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.