Johnson’s Knock Walks Off Kernels for Second-Straight Night

Davenport, Iowa – Less than 24 hours after Shervyen Newton’s grand slam walked off the Kernels in the ninth inning Thursday, the Quad Cities River Bandits walked-off Cedar Rapids again on Friday, stealing a 3-2-win on Justin Johnson’s game-winning two-run single.

Both offenses struggled over the game’s first four innings, as Henry Williams and Darren Bowen matched each other zero for zero, with Williams striking out a career-high eight over his first 12 outs.

While Bowen’s night would end after 4.0-scoreless frames, Williams returned to the mound for the fifth, but after surrendering a leadoff single to Jay Harry, allowed the Kernels into the run column first on Kyle Hess’s RBI-triple. Dillon Tatum then followed with an RBI-single to put Cedar Rapids ahead 2-0.

Kernels’ right-hander Mike Paredes would not allow an earned run over his 4.0-inning relief effort, but was charged an unearned run in the sixth after a Harry error set up Carson Roccaforte to drive in Jared Dickey with a sacrifice-fly.

The Bandits’ deficit remained 2-1 for the next three innings thanks to Oscar Rayo, who allowed six hits for just the third time this season, but struck out four and tossed 4.0-scoreless innings in a piggyback start, lowering his summer’s earned run average to 2.01.

Gabriel Yanez, who recorded a save in Tuesday’s series-opener, took over for the Kernels in the ninth and immediately allowed the tying run on base, as Roccaforte took the first pitch of the inning into right field. The left-hander then issued a five-pitch walk to Trevor Werner, before Spencer Nivens loaded the bases with a single of his own.

Yanez struck out Thursday’s hero, Newton, for the first out of the inning, but despite falling into a quick 0-2 count, Johnson inside-outed an elevated fastball into right field, deep enough for Roccaforte and Werner to score ahead of Misael Urbina’s throw.

The win marks Quad Cities’ fifth walk-off victory of the season and evens the club’s six-game series with the Kernels at two wins apiece.

Rayo (3-0) took home the win as the only River Bandit to work out of the bullpen, while Yanez (4-5) was tagged with his third loss and his fifth blown save of the season.

The River Bandits return to Modern Woodmen Park for game five of the set tomorrow evening and send Ethan Bosacker (1-1, 2.61) to the mound opposite Cedar Rapids’ southpaw Connor Prielipp (0-0, 0.00). First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.