Quad Cities Drops Series Opener in Peoria

Peoria, Illinois – The Quad Cities River Bandits fell in game one of their six-game series with Peoria, losing to the Chiefs 5-3 on Tuesday night at Dozer Park.

Back-to-back doubles from Omar Hernandez and Jean Ramirez gave Quad Cities a 1-0 advantage in the top of the third, but it would be the club’s only run against Chiefs’ starter Darlin Saladin and their only lead of the game.

Peoria answered back immediately against Bandits’ start Hunter Owen in the third, tying the game 1-1 on Leonardo Bernal’s sacrifice-fly before Trey Paige drove in Body Moore with an RBI-single, his first career High-A hit.

Another newcomer got to Owen in the fourth, as Chase Davis drove in a pair with an RBI-single and forced Owen from the game after a season-low 3.1-inning effort. Connor Fenlong replaced the southpaw and pitched 0.2-scoreless innings, but allowed an inherited runner to score on Johnfrank Salazar’s RBI-single, making it 5-1 Chiefs.

Hunter Patteson (3.0 IP, 4 SO) and Ben Hernandez (1.0 IP, 2 SO) followed Fenlong with scoreless outings of their own, but Saladin kept Quad Cities off the board over his final four frames, en route to a career-high matching 7.0-inning start with nine strikeouts.

Tyler Bradt tossed a scoreless eighth inning for Peoria and although Hunter Hayes gave up runs on Justin Johnson and Chris Brito RBI-groundouts that would be the extent of Quad Cities’ ninth-inning rally, with the right-hander closing out the game as part of his Midwest League debut.

Saladin (4-2) secured his third win in four career starts against the River Bandits, while Owen (6-6) was saddled with the loss, allowing five runs on six hits, three walks, and four strikeouts.

Quad Cities continues its series against the Chiefs on Wednesday afternoon and sends Ryan Ramsey (1-3, 2.93) to the hill against Peoria’s Brycen Mautz (1-11, 5.78). First pitch is scheduled for 12:05 p.m. at Dozer Park.