Newton’s Slam Walks-Off Kernels

Davenport, Iowa – Shervyen Newton’s walk-off grand slam lifted the River Bandits to victory on Thursday, as Quad Cities defeated the Cedar Rapids Kernels 5-3 at Modern Woodmen Park.

Before the late-game heroics, the Kernels took the contest’s first lead for the seventh time in their last eight games against the Bandits, jumping ahead on Kyle Hess’s RBI-single in the third. However, it would be the only run allowed by Quad Cities’ starter Ryan Ramsey, who worked into the fifth inning and matched his season-high with six strikeouts.

Ben Hernandez took over for the southpaw and safety closed out the fifth, but allowed an RBI-single to Jay Harry in the sixth, extending the Kernels’ lead to 2-0.

After being held hitless through the final six innings of their game on Wednesday, the River Bandits were quieted by Jeremy Lee through the first five frames Thursday, but eventually got to Cedar Rapids’ starter and cut their deficit to one on Dustin Dickerson’s RBI-single in the sixth. The Kernels immediately stole the run back in the seventh though, moving ahead 3-1 on a Hernandez wild pitch.

While Quad Cities’ bats failed to reignite against Nolan Santos in the seventh and eighth, as the right-hander notched a hold with 2.1-scoreless innings and three strikeouts, Chase Isbell and Natanael Garabitos returned the favor, each tossing a clean frame to lead the Bandits to the plate in the ninth still trailing by two.

Juan Mendez was handed his first save opportunity of the season for the Kernels and after walking Dickerson to begin the inning, got Carson Roccaforte to pop out. The right-hander then gave up singles to Trevor Werner and Spencer Nivens, which loaded the bases for Newton.

The infielder stepped to the plate hitless in his first 11 at-bats since rejoining the Bandits on Tuesday, but launched an 0-1 pitch 415 feet to right-field for the game-winning slam and Quad Cities’ fourth walk-off victory of the season.

After tossing the scoreless top of the ninth, Garabitos (2-1) earned the win for the Bandits, while Mendez (0-1) suffered his first loss after recording just one out.

Quad Cities will look to even the six-game series at two wins apiece on Friday and sends Henry Williams (2-4, 4.67) to the mound opposite Cedar Rapids’ Darren Bowen (2-5, 6.46). First pitch at Modern Woodmen Park is set for 6:30 p.m.